Between Two Realms
by Dragon.and.Phoenix.11
Summary: The Sequel to Cold Competition. After the mess with BEGA the gang go their separate ways. Ray hasn't heard from any of the others in six months, but when he finally does receive a letter from Kenny it's a classic case of "Ignorance is bliss". Warnings: Swearing, OOC, violence and some mild gore plus scenes which may upset some readers. More information on our Profile Page.
1. Prologue

Author Note: This is the sequel to Beyblade: Cold Competition. There will be delays once we reach the sixth chapter because Phoenix is at Camp America to look after kids.

Some minor editing has been done on the 17/07/12 to this chapter.

Disclaimer: Beyblade belongs to Takao Aoki

* * *

**Between Two Realms**

Prologue

After the fall of BEGA the BBA began a slow recovery. Tyson, Hilary, Kenny and Daichi helped in Japan while Max went back to America with his mother to help there. Ray returned home to China with White Tiger X and Kai headed back to Russia with Tala and the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys. Most of the bladers kept in touch, including with the other teams, but then Kai disappeared without any word.

After six months, the authorities called off the search, finding only a single item to show that Kai had even been around. His beyblade, including Dranzer's bit chip. Knowing that Kai would never leave his beloved bit beast behind and considering the length of time that had passed; the gang had no choice but to accept that Kai had died.

It fell to Kenny to pass on the news to all the others.

000

White Tiger Hills was an old, traditional village, tucked away in a rural area of China and inhabited by the descendants of a bakeneko, or demon cat. As the descendants of a half demon, these people faced hatred from many full-fledged demons, but as inhabitants of the village they were under the demon council's protection. The demon council was made up of a community of powerful demons who strove for peace between the human world and the demon world, and they worked to keep the demon society secret to achieve those ends.

Their tasks often involved things like keeping some demons in check, punishing others severely and clearing up after mistakes. In return for the council's protection, the people of the White Tiger Hills community did what they could to assist them. Over the generations the blood had become diluted and the demonic cells had grown dormant, but the people were still part-demon, part-human. They represented the unity that the demon council strove for.

There were other half demons all around the world who weren't under the council's protection. Many of them were hunted for sport by the full-fledged demons who saw them as nothing more than worthless mongrels. Some would even attempt to go for the villagers if they thought they could get away with it, but such attacks were few and far between and most demons knew it wasn't worth the repercussions if they got caught.

While the youngsters of the village may have played with Beyblades when they weren't working on their chores, there was a seriousness to the game because the beyblades originated from weapons. Keeping traditions alive, all youngsters were brought up to be able to fight in case of attack. As such, the village had its fair share of warriors. Their top five warriors were also the beyblading team who represented them in world championships, White Tiger X, led by Raymond Kon.

Ray, as he preferred to be called, had done a good deal of travelling to learn more and better himself as a blader and a person, so he had much to teach the younger members of the village, as well as some of the older ones. As such, he spent time teaching other members of the village when he wasn't training himself with his team.

Two months beforehand Fabian, a member of the demon council who kept constant contact with the village elders, brought along a small girl named Yin for the village to look after. She'd lost her parents and had no one else to turn to. Since her father had been a bakeneko and her mother human, she had much in common with the villagers. Whilst there, Fabian made it a point to examine Ray because of a slight change in him and learned that something had awakened the demon blood within him. Ray was the first one she met and Yin began to follow him around a lot of the time, calling him gege, which meant older brother.

000

"You're still too tense. You need to relax, or you'll hurt yourself," Ray told one of his students, before turning as one of the villagers approached him.

"Here, Ray. You've got a letter," the man said, handing Ray an envelope.

"Thanks," Ray replied, looking down at it. _It's from the Chief. I haven't heard from him in a while,_ Ray mused before dismissing the youngsters and heading back to his house. Along the way, Ray opened the letter and began to read it.

_Dear Ray,_

_I hope this letter finds you in good health. I'm sorry for not writing back sooner, but things are pretty hectic over here. I had hoped to get back to you when they'd calmed down again because I didn't want to worry you. It can't be helped now though and I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news._

_The thing is, six months ago Kai went missing. He just disappeared without a trace. Nobody knew where he went. Not even Tala. The authorities found Dranzer, but nothing of Kai. The search was called off._

_We all know Kai would never just leave Dranzer, so there's no choice but to accept the opinion that he's dead. Sorry again. We're all still trying to adjust to it. Tyson and Hilary are especially affected by it. I wish it had been better news for you, Ray._

_Kenny._

Ray hadn't realised he'd stopped walking as he stared at the letter in his hand. There had to be a mistake. He wasn't even aware of his team up ahead or Bao, Mariah's dog, consistently barking. "It can't be..."

"Hey, there you are," Lee called as he approached with the others. "We've been looking for- Ray?" There was suddenly concern in Lee's voice. "Are you alright?"

Ray read through the letter again, three times, and shook his head before looking at Lee. "It's from the Chief," he managed shakily and held out the letter.

Lee scanned through the letter quickly then did a double take and went over it again. His eyes widened in utter shock. "No way... He's..." Lee couldn't bring himself to say it and looked back at Ray sadly. "Ray, I'm so sorry, pal." He reached out and placed a hand on Ray's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

"I can't believe it," Ray commented. "It was odd when the letters stopped coming from the others... but I never thought... This never crossed my mind..."

"Maybe there's been some mistake?" Lee suggested hopefully while Mariah grabbed the letter from his hand so she could read it. They weren't saying anything specific and she was curious. Mariah let out a horrified gasp and covered her mouth with one hand.

"I'll need to go to the nearest town with phones to make a call," Ray decided.

"What about speaking to the elders?" Lee asked. "They might have heard something from the demon council about the Phoenix?"

"Fabian hasn't been by since he brought Yin here," Ray replied. "And he never said anything about Kai when he was here. I don't think there is any news on him there. I guess it couldn't hurt to ask though."

"Up to you. I'll go with you," Lee offered.

"Thanks Lee, I appreciate that," Ray said, accepting the offer. Lee nodded and they headed off together, while Mariah kept a hold of the letter and told Kevin and Gary the bad news. Reaching the Elders' hut, Ray and Lee entered and explained the situation before asking for any news on the Phoenix. Unfortunately, they were disappointed. The Elders were as in the dark about the situation as the boys and could offer no information that might ease their minds.

000

In the end, Ray and Lee were left with no other choice but to travel to the next town and use a phone. It was a long journey, but they covered it quickly because Ray wasn't keen to hang about and wait. Ray made a call first to Kenny who was glad to hear from him but sorry to tell him that it was the truth and there was no change in the situation. Ray thanked Kenny and said goodbye before he hung up the phone. After a moment to compose himself, Ray made another phone call, this time to Tala. He apologised for any inconvenience that his call was causing, he wasn't sure what time it was there, but he needed to know. The last bit of hope was immediately snuffed out and Ray felt numb as he finished the call. He turned away and leaned against the booth.

"Ray?" There was no point in asking if he was okay, because Lee could clearly see that he wasn't. And in all honestly he didn't know what else to say, other than Ray's name. It was a horrific shock which had come completely out of the blue, without warning. It was at times like these that Lee sometimes wished they didn't live in such a remote area.

"We need to go somewhere less public," Ray said quietly as he looked down so his bangs hid his eyes. He could tell he was going to break down, no matter how hard he fought it, and the last thing he wanted was for it to happen in public. Lee nodded and led Ray away from the village, stopping by a fallen tree about five minutes later. Ray moved to sit on the tree, burying his face in his hands. "Even Tala says..." he commented, his voice breaking slightly in his grief. It was difficult to speak as he continued to try his hardest not to cry.

Sitting next to him, Lee put an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "I'm so sorry... I know you and Kai were close..."

All Ray could do was nod as he lost the battle with a choked sob. "I really looked up to him, Lee," Ray said softly once the tears had subsided enough to allow him to speak. "He taught me so much and saved me so many times. He was always there when things went wrong, to save the day and tell us how stupid we'd been."

Lee rubbed Ray's back comfortingly. "I remember you telling me," he said with a sad smile, "How he used to lecture you guys for being so reckless and would then go off on his own and do something worse." He sighed. "There was no one else like him, that's for sure."

Ray nodded with a small smile and sniffed. "I used to get so mad at him for that," he commented. "That hypocrite..."

"I'll bet he got frustrated with you guys too though," Lee replied. "And yet, deep down, I know how much you all meant to him." Lee swallowed. "He wouldn't want you to be sad."

"I guess you're right. But you know I can't help it," Ray replied.

"Yeah, I know," Lee nodded understandingly. "I wish there was something I could do."

"You just being here like this is enough, Lee. I really appreciate it."

"I'll do anything I can to help," Lee assured him.

"Thanks, Lee," Ray responded offering him a small smile before looking up as a shadow fell over them.

Before them stood four boys. Boys who they were both very familiar with. Liam, Blane, Hughie and Omar of the Panthers. "Well looky here," Omar began, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Oh great," Ray muttered, looking down again with a frustrated sigh. Of all the times their rival clan could choose to mess with them, why did it have to be now?

"You look blue," Omar sneered. "I guess the news finally reached you country bumpkins, huh? No more Phoenix to hide behind. Word on the demon circuit is that he met with an unfortunate end. Apparently they're looking for the next one now."

"You came all this way just for that?" Ray asked tiredly.

"We didn't actually come for you guys," Liam stated. "We came for Kathleen."

"Well Kitty's perfectly happy where she is, so you might as well turn around and go home," Ray stated.

"You know, Liam, there are only two of them," Omar commented, looking around. "I don't see the other three. Why not kill two birds with one stone?"

Lee wasn't normally one to back down from a challenge, but right now he just wasn't in the mood. And he could tell that Ray wasn't either. "Let's go, Ray. They're just wanting to mess with you because they know your mind is elsewhere."

Ray nodded, pushing himself down from the tree to begin the long walk back home. It wouldn't be long before it started to get dark, but he just didn't have the energy or the drive to rush. _So even they knew..._ he mused miserably. _Even they knew about Kai being gone..._

"Running away?" Omar sneered. "Well that doesn't surprise me. You guys must know you're no match for us."

"Actually we've decided you're not even worth the breath it takes to insult you," Ray murmured, trying to at least hide that their words had affected him. "We're bored now."

"Yeah, sure. You're nothing without the Phoenix and you know it. It won't be long now before you all go down because you've all gotten soft over the years. You've never faced any real danger because the council has babysat you this entire time. They don't even need us, you know. They have no use for mongrels. You're like their mascots or something. Completely pointless except for them to go yeah that's ours. What a joke. And as for the Phoenix, if you ask me, that asshole got exactly what was coming to him," Omar announced and Ray abruptly stopped walking.

"Ray, don't..." Lee breathed.

Ray looked at Lee briefly, then over his shoulder at the Panthers before looking at Lee again. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly to calm himself. He didn't want to let them get away speaking about Kai like that, but fighting wouldn't solve anything. Ray looked back again, assuming a bored expression. "Wow, that's pretty pathetic. Only having the balls to insult him like that when he's gone. Sucks to be you," he stated before continuing to walk away.

Omar gaped at Ray, doing an excellent impression of a fish. Ray was supposed to get mad and try to fight them so that they could use their number to an advantage and take the white tiger. Not coolly blow him off like that. Plan B then. Just go in for the attack himself. Omar moved to run after Ray, but Liam caught him by the back of his top. "Liam?" Omar asked in surprise as he looked back

"Even we have our lines that aren't to be crossed," Liam told him. "We came for Kathleen. Driger will have to wait."

"Let's move," Lee said quietly to Ray and took off at speed. Ray sighed before following to match Lee's pace despite not being in the mood for it. He was feeling lethargic, plus the news had pretty much bowled him over and he was still in shock. If it hadn't been for the Panthers turning up, Ray would still be sitting down.


	2. Chapter 1

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

Author Notes: We are currently writing chapter 6. If you want chapter 2 then how about a little exchange. You give us reviews for chapter 1 and we'll give you chapter 2. That's fair, right?

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter 01

Most of the village were sound asleep when Lee and Ray made it back, but they found that Mariah, Kevin and Gary had waited up for them despite how late it was. Mariah watched them both carefully and saw from their expressions that there'd been no mistake. "Oh, Ray," she said softly before wrapping her arms around him.

"So... he's really gone then?" Kevin asked Lee quietly.

Lee nodded sadly. "Ray phoned Kenny and then Tala. There's no mistake."

"That's awful," Kevin commented quietly, wishing he hadn't clashed with Kai so much.

"Even the Panthers knew about it," Ray spoke up.

Mariah gasped before moving back to check Ray and Lee weren't injured. "You ran into those guys? What happened?"

"Tried to goad us into a fight," Lee explained, "Went really below the belt with a few comments too. But we didn't rise to it. They said they want Kathleen back."

"But she doesn't want to go back to them," Mariah commented. "That's the whole reason she never leaves the village. In case they try to make her return."

Lee sighed and sat down. "I know, but that's what they said. We'll need to keep an eye out for them."

Ray moved to sit down as well, against the wall, without a word, staring at nothing in particular. The words 'it never rains but pours' occurred to Kevin, but even he had enough tact not to make light of the situation. Ray had just found out he'd lost one of his closest friends. There was nothing funny about that. "So now what?" he asked quietly.

"Now, you continue on as you always have," Tao spoke, stepping inside. "As painful as it is, young ones, you can't turn back the clock."

Mariah, Kevin and Gary looked at Tao with a slight gasp. "You heard too?" Kevin asked.

"I heard from the elders and waited for you to return before coming over," Tao replied. Tapping his stick down on the ground, he shook his head, "Sad news indeed."

"Yeah," Mariah agreed, turning her head as there was some movement from Ray again. He'd shifted and was now looking away from them so that they couldn't see his face. Mariah looked down, wishing there was something she could do.

Tao silently motioned for them all to step out a moment, wanting to have a quiet word with Ray. With another glance at their captain, the team left the hut as their sensei had wordlessly asked, taking a small distance to avoid eavesdropping. Tao moved over to stand in front of Ray and watched the teen for a moment. "You must not hide your true feelings, Ray. Grief is something that touches us all and only once you have let it run its course; can you hope to move forward."

Ray lifted his head to look at Tao. "Yes, Sensei," he murmured before glancing at the door. "But I can't lead a team like this..."

Tao smiled gently. "My dear boy, none of us are asking you to. Your friends understand. We are all here to help you any way we can."

"Thank you, Sensei," Ray murmured.

"You do not need to give thanks. We are all hurting, even me. Kai was my student just like you after all. It upset me greatly to hear of his death, but a part of him is still with us."

Ray nodded because he couldn't trust his voice while he was this upset. Whenever he did speak his voice would stop working on occasion and he'd have to pause to compose himself before continuing. It was just frustrating. "I wish... I could have seen him again," Ray said once he trusted his voice enough not to break mid-sentence.

"He may still appear to you from time to time," Tao said. "A part of him now rests within you so he's not truly gone."

Ray sighed. "Sometimes a memory just isn't enough," he commented, not caring how childish and bratty that it sounded.

"Then you should consider yourself more fortunate, because that's not the case." Tao turned to look at him, having been studying his stick. "Did you not listen to what Fabian told you a few months ago?"

Ray looked up. "Fabian?" He frowned thinking back. The day Fabian had brought Yin to them and the day he'd been attacked by gargoyles in the village were the only times he'd ever interacted with the demon in question. All other times they'd only passed each other. But there was no mistaking him and he commanded a great deal of respect. Such a presence made it difficult to forget the events he was involved in. But Ray **had** listened to what Fabian had to say. "I didn't understand what he was saying and he wouldn't clarify when I asked. All he said was that the demon blood was no longer dormant and that I was closer now to being half demon than I had been. That something had awakened it."

"And what d'you think it was that did that?" Tao prompted.

"I don't-" Ray began to snap irritably, but froze. A moment ago they'd been talking about Kai. This was the same conversation. Ray's eyes widened and he gasped, finding his mind back in the monastery as he stared at Kai, having just punched the other teen in the face. Ray jerked back, just as he did that day, blinking when he hit his head on the wall he had been leaning against and looked around. He was home. Ray shook his head to try clear it. Weirdly, for a brief moment, he had almost thought he really was back there in the monastery. Everything had felt so real; the sensation in his fist as though he had just hit someone. And he had at that time. The blood at Kai's mouth was the proof. Kai's grip on the collar of his long gown. Of course he knew it wasn't real. Kai was gone and it had all happened in the past. But it had still stunned him somewhat. "Kai... That's when it happened... It was Kai... It was his energy that did it."

"Well done," Tao praised with a nod. "He indeed was the one responsible for the change in you. Whether purposefully or by accident doesn't matter, because even now there are still remnants of his power in your body. That was his gift to you."

Ray stared at Tao for a moment before his eyes saddened once more and he looked down, raising a hand to gaze at it. "Kai's gift..." he murmured softly as he closed his hand. "Then I should find a way to make good use of it."

Tao nodded. "And I know you shall."

"Thank you, Sensei," Ray said softly as he looked up at Tao again.

Tao nodded and made his exit. The rest of the White Tiger X team filed back in a few minutes later. "What was all that about?" Lee asked.

"Just some stuff I needed to hear and something I hadn't realised concerning my heightened senses," Ray replied softly. "Kai did it and Tao worked it out."

"Kai?" Lee asked in disbelief while the others stared in silent shock.

"Back when he stopped my attack on him. The energy he put through me to break the device's control," Ray responded with a nod.

"In the monastery..." Lee mused. "I'd almost forgotten about that. So, Kai's the one to cause that huh? I'm almost not surprised."

"Yeah," Ray said softly before covering his mouth as he yawned. At this hour it was normal for him to feel tired, but on top of that he'd been really upset for several hours. Needless to say, he was still upset. It was strange how exhausting crying and getting upset really was. "I think we should turn in, guys," he commented.

"Yeah, it's been a long day," Lee agreed. "We could all do with some sleep." With the decision made, the team turned in and let the exhaustion take them.

000

"Lee, I'm worried," Mariah commented a week later. "Even though he's gone back to teaching the others and training himself Ray's not eating right. I've tried to call him out on it and to convince him to eat some more but he just says he's not hungry. What should we do? Even Yin's noticed that he's upset."

"He's grieving, Mariah," her brother replied. "We just have to be patient and keep an eye on him. I'll try and have a word with him later."

Mariah smiled and thanked him. She knew Ray was grieving and could understand that, but it pained her greatly that he wasn't taking care of himself as well as he could. At her side; Bao suddenly started barking, staring towards the trees. "Huh?" Mariah looked down at Bao then towards the trees. "What's going on?" she wondered.

Lee frowned as he looked towards the tree line. The birds had taken to the sky and the friendly little kodama spirits were retreating inside the trees. "Something's wrong," Lee murmured before Bao growled and ran off into the forest.

"Bao, no!" Mariah called before rushing after the dog, "Here, girl! Come back! Heel!"

"Oh great," Lee growled, going after his sister. If there was trouble, the last thing they needed was Bao leading them straight to it. Luckily the dog had stopped not far into the forest.

"Something's upset everything in there..." Mariah commented as she crouched next to Bao, "But what?"

"I don't know," Lee replied, touching Mariah's shoulder. "Come on, back into the village."

"But..." Mariah began before nodding. "Alright," she agreed.

Something disturbed the undergrowth further ahead and Lee stiffened. He could sense something watching them. Bao started growling again. "Back out slowly," Lee whispered to Mariah.

Mariah swallowed and nodded her head, doing as her brother had instructed. "Here girl," she whispered to Bao and the husky followed her grumbling. She couldn't help but think something was terribly wrong with the whole thing. They hadn't had any trouble for a while, so why now? What was going on? And why? "Lee, the tree spirits are gone," Mariah pointed out worriedly. "That's a really bad sign."

"I know. We need to speak with the elders immediately." Lee felt relieved when whatever it was that was watching them didn't follow, but he kept his guard up even as they broke out of the trees and into the clearing of the village. The presence was still there, but it appeared to be moving away now.

"Grandfather is not going to like this..." Mariah commented before sighing. "We're probably going to have to organise a party to investigate."

Lee nodded. "We'll need to tell Ray too. He'll want to know."

"Yeah," Mariah agreed though she didn't sound convinced.

Lee frowned slightly. "Mariah?"

Mariah sighed. "Ray will want to know, but should he?" she asked. "What if he tries going to see for himself? It's so soon after the news, too soon and he's not been looking after himself... What if something happens to him?"

"I'll go and tell him," Lee decided, realising his sister had a point. "That way, I can stop him if he tries anything. You go and speak with grandfather."

Mariah nodded. "Talk to him about looking after himself better too?" she requested.

"I will," Lee assured her and headed off to see Ray.

"Come on, Bao," Mariah said before rushing off to the elders' hut.

000

Yin sat in Ray's lap, looking up at Ray's face, blinking her blue eyes while she watched him stare ahead. "Gege?" she asked. Ray started slightly before looking at her and smiling a little as he rested a hand on her head. Yin returned the smile, happy to have had a reaction from him.

"Ray!" Lee called, spotting him and running over. "There you are. I've been looking for you."

Ray stood up, lifting Yin so she wouldn't fall. "Lee? What is it?" he asked. The child changed shape, taking the form of a small cat, which looked much like a "blue" coloured Somali though still retaining her blue eyes as opposed to the breed's green or gold colour, and climbing up onto Ray's shoulder. Ray didn't react to this behaviour as it was something he'd grown used to over the past two months.

"We've got a problem," Lee reported. "Something's upsetting the tree spirits. Something nasty and it's close by."

"Where?" Ray asked.

"Not far. I'll show you." Lee quickly led Ray back to where he and Mariah had just been, but didn't go into the forest. "I could sense it watching us, but I didn't get a look at what it was."

Ray picked up the cat up and placed her on the ground. "Wait right here, Yin," he told her before turning back to forest to head in and investigate.

Lee caught his wrist. "You can't go in there alone," he told Ray firmly. "You haven't been eating. You're not at full strength."

"But we need to know what's causing the problem. This is way too close to the village to go ignored," Ray responded.

"Gege, no," Yin said as she took on a human appearance again and caught one of Ray's legs.

"Yin..." Ray murmured, looking down at her then at Lee again. He sighed knowing that he'd never get them both to let go. It would take both hands to remove either one, by which point the other would have just grabbed him again, "Alright. You win."

"Mariah's gone to tell our grandfather and the other elders," Lee explained to Ray. "She's worried about you, Ray. We all know that you're hurting because of what happened to Kai, but you have to look after yourself better."

"Lee..." Ray murmured, looking at his friend. He sighed and looked towards the forest again.

Lee sighed. "There's probably going to be a search party sent out later. So why don't you go home and at least eat something just now, then go with them later?"

"I don't really feel like eating, but if it will put your mind to rest then okay," Ray responded.

"A nap might be a good idea too," Lee suggested. "That'll keep Mariah happy."

"You're not gonna let me off, are you?" Ray guessed with a slight smile.

Lee smiled back, "Not at all."

"Okay. I'll try. For you guys," Ray replied. He glanced at the forest one last time before lifting Yin once more into his arms and heading back to the village with Lee. True to his word, Ray did eat, even though he didn't really feel like it. He also lay down to take a nap as Lee had suggested and, despite thinking he'd probably be lying there awake for ages, he did drift off for a couple of hours, much to the relief of his friends.

000

Once he'd rested Ray joined the group about to head up to the forest. There wouldn't be much natural light left to search with for very long, but Ray wasn't that bothered because he could see so well in the dark now. Given the opportunity, he could probably continue searching after the others headed back either for torches or to retire for the night. Chances were, however, that Lee would never allow it. He'd probably come after Ray and prove just how much more stubborn he was on the matter. Then Ray would most likely have Mariah on his case as well. And that would only agitate Lee further. It wouldn't be pleasant so it was wise to avoid that scenario. The best thing to do was to try find out what had happened earlier whilst staying with the group and to do it before sunset.

"There have been a few sightings within the last half hour," Kevin reported to Ray. "It's definitely a demon, but not one from around here."

"We better find out all we can about it. It's not normal for demons to just show up like that. The last time it happened was an attack on the village and I'm not prepared to take that risk," Ray stated. He left the bit about the attack being over him unsaid. They all knew and none of the villagers blamed Ray for it. But thinking of that made Ray think about Kai again. He'd been in serious trouble that night. The gargoyles would have killed him. But Kai had intervened. Kai had caught him before he could be injured on the wall, then he'd helped Ray to sit down before single-handedly driving back all of the enemies. Come to think of it, Kai had been the first to know about that threat. It was too bad they didn't have him anymore because he probably could have taken care of this problem too. _He's gone, Ray,_ the White Tiger X captain told himself. _He's gone and he's never coming back. You have to deal with your own problems. Get used to it. There won't be a miracle this time._ Ray sighed a little to himself before facing the others. "The forest is too quiet and I don't trust that."

000

The main party was beginning to break up into smaller ones in order to cover more ground, but nobody went alone. There was no telling what could happen and so it was wise to have someone watching your back. If something was to happen, an alarm would be raised and others would come to assist those in trouble. Ray took his team, with the addition of Kathleen, into the forest and Bao set to work sniffing the ground with Mariah's encouragement. She watched the husky's body language, retracing her steps whenever Bao lifted her head. They all remained wary in case of attack.

Every now and then the group would come across evidence of something, probably the demon, moving through the forest. But the trail was confusing, changing direction constantly with no set pattern. Almost as if the demon was trying to avoid being followed.

"This is ridiculous," Mariah commented as Bao lost the trail once again.

"We're going to run out of daylight soon," Kathleen commented.

"We're going to have to split up further to cover more ground," Ray decided. "Gary, Kathleen, you guys go back with Mariah and Bao to where the last scent was. Kevin and Lee, you two come up ahead with me to search for any clues." Kevin and Lee both nodded in agreement.

With the girls and Gary going back to try help Bao pick up the trail, Ray led Lee and Kevin on some yards, searching the ground. The sky was starting to hold its evening glow of gold and pink, but much of the charm was lost due to the lack of evening calls from birds. It was eerily quiet and there wasn't even the sound of mice and other small creatures rustling about through the leaves. Straining their hearing for any sound they often gave themselves slight starts by disturbing pebbles and sticks.

Ray stopped walking as he spotted something up ahead that looked like fabric. He jogged over to it, finding that it was in fact a scrap of blood-stained bandage. Ray crouched down and picked it up but froze with a slight gasp. The blood on this bandage had come from a demon. He could sense that.

"What did you find, Ray?" Kevin asked, bounding over while Lee kept an eye out for anything.

Ray stood up and held out the bandage for Kevin to see. "It's demon blood," Ray told him quietly as he looked around.

Kevin blinked. "Think it came from the one we're tracking?"

"I can't be sure yet," Ray answered.

"Well, if it's wounded, then that might make finding it a little easier," Kevin mused and then frowned. "Unfortunately, that means it's probably going to be even more dangerous to deal with."

"Yeah, but this is still too close to the village so we have to deal with it," Ray commented.

Kevin nodded. "From the tracks, I'd say it's heading towards the upper falls," Kevin commented, "Probably to hide its scent."

Ray nodded. It made sense. But if the bandage came from the demon they were tracking, who or what had injured it? And why had it come here? "We don't have much time left," Ray realised as he noticed the sky paling. "Let's hurry and see."

Kevin nodded and the pair headed to the falls with Lee. Once there, they found nothing of the demon and as night fell they had no choice but to head back to the village and the guard was intensified.

000

Reaching his house, which he now shared with the team, Ray found Yin waiting for him in her cat form, her bushy tail beating the ground impatiently. Spotting Ray, she stood up and bounded over to him leaping up towards his shoulder. Her jump wasn't high enough to reach her favourite perch, but Ray brought up his arm underneath her and gave the youngster a little boost; smiling as she began to purr contently. His expression saddened however as he remembered that Kai had liked cats and it occurred to him the Russian teen would probably have liked Yin.

Shaking it off he headed inside knowing the child would most likely stay for the night. It was just something that Yin often did, following Ray like a shadow whenever she could. Yin didn't often speak, preferring to watch the world in silence. She also seemed to prefer her cat form but Ray suspected that was because she wouldn't have to reply that way. People who spoke to cats didn't generally expect an answer, at least, not an answer that didn't consist solely of meowing.

Yin didn't even speak much to Ray, who she was obviously closest to in the village. Conversations between them were generally one-sided and were normally made up of yes or no questions from Ray, with Yin answering with a nod, shake or one-worded response. But then, that was something else Ray was used to and as he contemplated this, Ray sighed at yet another reminder of Kai.

Yin hopped down from Ray's shoulder as he moved to sit on the bed and took her human form. She stood in front of him for some minutes as the pair watched each other. "You're hurt," Yin decided finally. Ray blinked and looked down at himself, bewildered, but blinked again when Yin's hand came into view as she touched his chest, over his heart. "Here," Yin stated and Ray looked at her again.

Ray sighed. "Yes. I am," he confirmed.

"I hurt here," Yin said, bringing her hand over her own heart. "I lost baba and mama." Ray nodded and pulled Yin onto his lap, hugging her. "Who did gege lose?" she asked quietly.

"I lost a very dear friend," Ray answered softly, "A friend who I looked up to and respected. A friend who protected and guided me, helping me to become the person I am today." Yin nodded in acceptance of his answer and returned the hug.

Yin spoke more to Ray that evening than she had the whole time Ray had known her. She asked questions about Kai and about the adventures they'd had. She asked about how they'd met and about what kind of person Kai had been. When hearing about Kai's favoured response of 'hn' the child had giggled. She was also impressed by all the stories Ray had to tell her, including the ones that took place in White Tiger Hills. After hearing about Ray's father, and deciding she didn't like the man, Yin asked about Ray's mother. She realised she had even more on common with Ray, at his answer, than she'd first thought. She told Ray as much then explained he was more demon than the others in the village, just like she was, when he had asked what had been the first thing in common.

Conversation turned back to Kai and the questions only stopped when Yin finally fell asleep. Ray tucked the girl into his bed and headed outside to join his team under the stars feeling somehow lighter. Kathleen was with the group when Ray joined them.

000

"That's got to be the most she's spoken since arriving here," Kevin commented quietly as Ray joined them. "You know, anyone would think you two really were brother and sister with how much she follows you around."

"I think it's sweet," Mariah put in, smiling up at Ray before he sat down between her and Lee.

"So she's finally opening up a bit then?" Kathleen asked.

"Yeah," Ray answered with a nod. "You guys weren't listening, were you?"

"Nah, we could hear voices, just not the words," Kevin answered.

"Okay, down to business. So what do we have then?" Ray asked.

"We've got a silent forest, a bloody bandage and at least one demon in the area," Kathleen listed.

"Bao couldn't pick up the trail. There were too many scents for her to follow," Mariah put in.

"And we got nothing at the falls," Kevin added.

"All in all, not a lot to go on," Lee surmised.

"All the elders can do is increase the security, which they've already done," Mariah mused.

"And we haven't heard anything of the Panthers yet in regards to Kathleen," Ray added, looking to the girl.

"I'm not going back to them," Kathleen stated adamantly.

"We know, Kitty and we won't make you," Kevin assured her.

"Why does everything always start going wrong around the same time?" Mariah murmured aloud without meaning to. She gasped and covered her mouth before sending an apologetic look towards Ray. Fortunately, Ray missed it and didn't actually pick up on the fact that she was referring to Kai's death too because he was looking up at the stars. Following his gaze, Mariah gasped as it brought back a memory. Back when Ray had been captured and held prisoner. Mariah had gone outside, feeling crowded and miserable, and looked to the night sky. Kai had spoken to her back then and promised to get Ray back safely.

"Mariah?" Ray asked worriedly.

Mariah blinked, realizing her vision was blurred and looked at Ray. She blinked again and understood why. She offered Ray a smile and wiped her eyes. "Just remembering," she offered as an explanation.

Ray understood who she was referring to and returned the smile. "D'you know, I don't think he ever realised how good a person he really was," Ray commented to her softly.

"Kai?" Kevin asked of their current topic, receiving a nod from them both, "Heh, yeah. He was always hell bent on looking after everyone but himself."

"Didn't matter how many times you told him, he always put everyone else first," Ray agreed.

"Remember when we all got sick?" Mariah asked, looking at Ray. "We weren't on his team or even that close to him and he still nursed us back with as much care as he did for you guys."

"I remember him getting really pissed off at Omar for insulting us, particularly Ray," Lee commented. "He was mad enough at the guy for just trespassing in the first place, without him talking trash about Ray on top of that."

"I'd never seen anyone fight as hard for someone else as Kai did," Kathleen commented. "After he and Ray had their match out at the park we were going to take Driger while Ray was exhausted. But the way Kai fought... We had him outnumbered and Ray was already down, but I don't think even Hell itself could have made Kai back down. No amount of taunts or sneaking around could stop him. It was amazing. HE was amazing. And despite how ruthless he seemed, there was also a certain level of forgiveness. I wanted that. To care so much about something that it gives you strength. And the bond you all shared with your bit beasts. When I backed down, he let me go and I realised I had a choice. I didn't have to be what they wanted me to be. Kai taught me that." Kathleen sighed. "I never did get that fair match that I wanted with him."

"That day when Hal came to take Ray away from us," Kevin spoke up, "Kai went to all that trouble to lure the guy away, even though he was injured from training. He wanted to let Ray have the opportunity to at least know his father. I thought that was the last day we would see Ray, because we all know Hal wouldn't have come back. He would have taken Ray with him and never return. But Kai didn't allow it. And then, after all the stuff I said to him, he still helped me get down from that tree."

"He gave me Bao," Mariah added, remembering Czar fondly. Kai had generally been a cat person, but that hadn't stopped him having a pack of dogs. And when the puppies came, Kai had ensured they would be given good homes.

"So many fond memories," Ray said softly.

"Looking after friends when they're sick, defending their honour," Mariah began to list.

"Fighting tooth and nail to keep them safe," Kathleen put in.

Mariah nodded in agreement, "Fighting tooth and nail to keep them safe."

"Turning up to save the day just when he was needed," Ray added.

"He was a real hero, huh?" Mariah commented.

"He wasn't interested in being a hero, but personally, I think that just made him that much more of one," Ray replied. There was a murmur of agreement before the group fell silent in private remembrance of Kai. The Russian had meant a lot more to some of them than they had originally thought. It was true what they said. You really never did know what you had until it was gone.

After a little while the group began to feel tired and cold, so they turned in for the night, heading indoors and laying down to sleep.

000

Throughout the week, there were several more search parties sent out to investigate the demon, on a daily basis. But all of them turned up nothing. What was worse was that the silence seemed to spreading, closer to the village and surrounding it. Everyone was on edge and Ray was too busy with the situation to think about his sorrow. There was a very real chance that the people he loved and cared about were in danger right now and if something wasn't done about it then he may well lose more friends. Of course he was still sad about Kai's death, but he couldn't dwell on it and worked throughout the day with others to try and find out what was going on.

Unlike the others, he was able to continue his investigations well into the night with his better eyesight. But the sense of smell did nothing for him. The whole place reeked of demon and it was impossible to find anything that way. As for his hearing, there were no sounds to detect. The searches were always exhausting though because of effort and because of the way the atmosphere played with his nerves and so he was still forced to return home to rest. Ray decided that he might try something different the next night as he lay down for the night. He was too tired for even his frazzled nerves to keep him awake and quickly fell asleep.

000

Ray walked towards the waterfall quietly. The sound of the lapping water at the banks of the river was a welcome change to the forest which had become creepy as of late. He found it comforting. But then, the waterfall had always been a good place. Here he could meditate with ease. It was almost like a sanctuary to him in a way. The fact that he had natural sounds around him right now added to that comfort.

"I thought I'd see you here," a voice called from nearby. "Took your time, huh?"

Ray started and turned to see the person who had spoken. Sitting on a rock at the water's edge, they were dressed completely in white. They wore a white shirt and white trousers. But it was their identity that held Ray's attention the most. "Kai?" he asked in surprise before frowning. Kai was dead which could mean only one thing. "Ah, I'm dreaming, aren't I?" Apart from the colour scheme, Kai looked just the same as Ray remembered him, except for the fact that his scarf was missing.

"You were expecting someone else?" Kai asked with a small smirk.

"I dunno what I expected. I didn't expect you though," Ray answered honestly as he approached the other teen.

"Well it's your dream," Kai told him and folded his arms. "And while I can understand the significance of me wearing white, it is a little cliché, don't you think? And where's my scarf? How could you miss that out?"

"Uh..." was Ray's articulate response.

Kai rolled his eyes and smiled. "Relax, I'll manage without it." His smile slowly faded and he looked back at Ray with a sudden seriousness. "So, how are you?"

Ray blinked. "How am I?" he repeated as he tried to snap out of his bewilderment. How was he? Ray looked at the river's surface, watching the ripples match the gentle sound. "Honestly?" he asked softly. "I've been better." Ray looked up at Kai again, almost expecting him to be gone already.

Kai hadn't vanished. He was still there and frowned slightly, unfolding his arms and leaning forward to rest them on his knees. "I've disappointed you, haven't I?" he asked. "Let you down."

"It's not that. I mean, I know none of us will live forever. I guess I just thought I'd have more time. It's just, I miss you and it hurts," Ray responded. It was all so familiar. Kai berating himself about something he'd supposedly done wrong and Ray assuring him it wasn't as bad as Kai thought, or forgiving him instantly if he'd been the one hurt. It seemed so normal.

Kai slipped off the rock and walked over to Ray, hands in his pockets in what had always been a familiar casual display. "Well then, let's talk," he said, stopping in front of his friend. "Now's your chance to say everything you need to, so that you can move on. It will make it easier, Ray."

The familiarity of the display was comforting, but the words caused a certain horror to seep its way through Ray. This was closure. Finality. The end. What was there to say to someone when you knew it was the last chance you'd ever have? It was a chance to say goodbye, but it was just as much of a curse as it was a blessing. It made him feel very on the spot, which in turn made him feel quite desperate. He didn't even know what he was desperate for. Don't go? How absurd. It was already too late for that. Kai was already gone. What happened? Well Ray didn't know what happened and this Kai was a product of his dream so he wouldn't know either. He couldn't know. What then? That he didn't want it easier? No. Kai wouldn't want that. Kai would hate that. Kai had done too much for them all to see them destroyed by this. Ray needed to stop looking at it as the glass being half empty and start looking at it as the glass being half full. For the sake of his friends if not for himself. But his eyes were burning, his hands were shaking and there was a lump in his throat, so even if he knew what he wanted to say, he couldn't get it out. Why was it so real even in a dream?

Sighing quietly, Kai reached forward and rested a hand on Ray's shoulder. "It'll be okay. Trust me."

Ray looked at Kai then down again quickly as the dam broke. "I do trust you. I always have."

Kai gave Ray's shoulder a light squeeze in comfort. "You're strong, Ray. You'll get through this. You all will. I'll still be keeping an eye on you all." He smiled. "So do me a favour and try to stay out of trouble."

Ray looked up at Kai again, staring for a moment before giving Kai a somewhat weak smile. It was very lightly said but almost the usual lecture about doing something foolish. Same old Kai. "It doesn't work even trying," Ray pointed out. "Even without looking for it. It always comes knocking."

"I can still hope," Kai replied. "That's all I've got now." He paused. "Where's Dranzer?"

"Kenny told me that Tyson's got him."

Kai nodded. "That's good. I was worried..." Sighing heavily, Kai's hand fell away from Ray's shoulder. "I am sorry, you know. For everything I've put you guys through... I didn't mean for any of it to happen."

"What do you mean everything you put us through?" Ray asked, puzzled. Everything? That couldn't just mean the death. It must have meant the stuff when he was alive. And all that had been covered. Hadn't it?

Kai shrugged. "I dragged you guys into a lot of trouble, what with Biovolt and my grandfather. I still feel bad for that."

"You didn't drag us anywhere. We got ourselves into trouble and you were the one bailing us out. And Voltaire's plans, he was everyone's problem. None of that was your fault. And I wouldn't trade one second of it because without all that we might not have become friends."

Kai couldn't help but be touched by his words and smiled. "Thanks, Ray. That means a lot."

"Well I really meant it. Every word. I told you before, you're one of my closest friends," Ray replied.

"And you're one of mine," Kai returned. "That will never change."

"Never," Ray agreed quietly. Dreaming took place at a certain stage in sleep. How long would that window last? How long had he slept already?

"Hn," Kai smiled, slowly turning away. "Well, I'll be seeing you." It seemed he already had those answers then.

"Goodbye, Kai," Ray responded, knowing that those words were the ones he would regret not saying the most.

Kai raised a hand to wave, but didn't turn back. "Bye, Ray." And with that, he disappeared, leaving Ray alone at the falls.

After watching Kai leave, Ray faced the water again. The peace wouldn't last, he knew that. There was that demon to take care of and the silent forest waiting for him in the real world. Despite that, Ray felt better for speaking with Kai. Dream or not.

000

Ray sat up and looked around. Home, in his own bed, like nothing had happened. The final piece of evidence that it had just been a dream. Still, it had helped. He'd needed that. Kai had been there for him despite being gone. He'd said, in Ray's dream, that he'd be watching over them. It seemed he really was. _That's so like Kai that I have to keep reminding myself it was just a dream,_ Ray mused as he got up and headed out. He had a demon to take care of and new plans to follow for the task at hand. First thing was first. He needed to eat something. He didn't plan to return home until he'd found something, even if it meant sleeping in the forest, so he'd need his fuel.

As soon as Ray left the house, Lee opened his eyes. He knew Ray was up to something and decided to follow. Ray hadn't been himself since Kai's death and his friends were all worried as a result. Until Ray had moved on, Lee had taken it upon himself to watch over his friend. If their roles were reversed he knew Ray would do the same for him.

Sensing that he was being followed, Ray stopped and turned to wait. "Morning Lee," he greeted.

"What are you up to, Ray?" Lee asked him suspiciously, not even bothering to try hide the fact that he'd tailed Ray.

"I'm getting some breakfast and then getting to work," Ray answered.

"You're not planning to come back empty-handed, are you," Lee guessed.

"Nope," Ray confirmed. "Wanna come with?"

"Someone's gotta watch your back," Lee replied. "Though I'm sure you'll be watching mine a lot more than I'll be watching yours."

"Don't be like that, Lee. We're a team," Ray responded. Lee lifted an eyebrow as he studied Ray for a moment. Ray seemed more like his old self today and Lee could only hope that that was a good sign. Lee nodded and they headed off to grab something to eat before heading into the forest.

000

Just as they had every other day, they searched the area around them for anything. The place had been searched and searched again every day and they didn't expect to find anything new. So it was a surprise when Ray stumbled across the remains of a fire. From the size of it, it appeared to have been a camp fire, perhaps for cooking with. Closer inspection of the area around the extinguished fire supported this theory. Ray held a hand over the ashes and, feeling no rising heat from them, ran his fingertips through it before rubbing them together. The ashes were cold.

"Whoever built this fire is long gone. But I know I passed this area just yesterday. Either I overlooked this patch or someone was here since," Ray observed.

"They must have been here since after you passed," Lee responded. "You've been thorough with every search."

"Not thorough enough," Ray pointed out. "There's still something seriously wrong with this forest. I'm going to be honest right now. This place is actually giving me the creeps. And I mean I am honestly freaked out by this."

"I know what you mean," Lee replied. "It's one thing for all the wildlife to go silent, but for the silence to last this long? The stress this place is bringing on can't be good either."

"Have you noticed we're whispering?" Ray asked.

"Yeah. I think we made a subconscious decision not to disturb the silence," Lee answered.

"Mm," Ray nodded. "Let's stick to that decision."

"Good call," Lee agreed. They looked around the camp site once more and then moved on. It wouldn't tell them anything else except that either the demon cooked or there was another stranger in the area.

000

Apart from the abandoned camp site there was no sign of life in the forest. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves in the trees but no birds sang amongst the branches. Nothing crawled through the blanket of leaves on the forest floor. Ray wasn't sure which he hated more, the silence, or the wind being the only thing to disturb it. But he didn't disturb the silence himself and neither did Lee. Making a lot of noise was no way to hunt. The day pressed on and the wind died down, bringing on the silence of the night. It was worse than when there was daylight as they strained their hearing further.

"We should find somewhere to rest for the night," Ray decided as the night wore on. "If we're out here, it might get the demon's attention."

"So bait was your plan," Lee mused, having suspected as much in the first place.

"Well searching isn't working," Ray shrugged.

If Lee hadn't known Ray as well as he did then he might have worried that Ray had returned to his old self because he planned to end it or something like that. But Lee did know Ray. Ray had too much going for him to do something so stupid. He had plenty of friends, close and otherwise. There were the villagers, his uncle Stan, Tyson, Kenny, Hilary, Max and Daichi. There were the other teams too. Not to mention Mariah and Yin. "Bait or not, I know you don't plan to throw your life away, so let's make sure we find somewhere that will give us an advantage," Lee mused.

"So all we need to do is figure out how to gain the upper hand on an unknown opponent. Do we go up or down?" Ray asked.

"I think we should stay low," Lee commented. "It should be easier to find cover."

"Agreed," Ray said with a nod. "We used to play in this forest when we were children. It shouldn't be too hard to find somewhere suitable since we know it so well." Lee nodded in agreement and they headed off to find somewhere they could rest up safely. What they chose was a little patch under low tree branches with a boulder behind them and bushes on either side. Enclosed as they were they would see or hear anything approaching before it was within striking distance.

000

The night dragged on in silence while Lee and Ray took turns napping and standing watch. The bait plan didn't appear to be working so, once they'd both rested enough, Ray and Lee set out again. Without a torch to see by it was mostly down to Ray's eyesight to search for clues in the dark while Lee stood guard ready for attack. A few times they stopped and made some noise deliberately, to try get some sort response, but they didn't like it one bit and the only reply they received was their own echo. The most worrying thing was the ominous presence lurking over the forest. The feeling of being watched caused the hairs on the back of their necks to stand up. The pressure in the air around them built and instinctively they knew that something was about to happen.

A blood-curdling shriek filled the night air, shattering the silence of the forest, followed by pounding as something big rolled down the hillside not far from where Lee and Ray were. Crashing to a stop, the creature snarled and rushed on, shaking bushes and small trees as it went. Moving away from whatever it was that had startled it, it headed directly for Ray and Lee, leaving them little time to react.

In an explosion of earth and broken branches it emerged, big yellow eyes wide and dangerous. It was a huge rat demon, easily double the size of a grown man, with massive claws. Its thick grey hair was matted and stinking and it had what appeared to be ingrown wires and tubes coming from the back of its neck. But what stood out the most about it was the improvised arrow sticking out of its shoulder. It was under attack from something else.

The demon passed between them, knocking them both flying into the undergrowth at either side of the path as it continued on in the direction of the village. Fairly dazed, the boys floundered as they tried to right themselves again.

Suddenly, there was someone else on the path, rushing after the rat demon in hot pursuit, another demon, but this one in human form. Dressed entirely in black, all that could be seen of their face was their eyes. Deep brown eyes which glanced briefly at Ray in the split second it took them to pass. A knife glinted at their waist as the short cloak they wore was blown back with their movements. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion and yet they were gone as quickly as they had appeared, disappearing back into the forest after the rat demon.

Ray blinked owlishly after the figure who also wore a bow on their back. "Anyone get the number of that truck?" he asked as stumbled to his feet rubbing the back of his head which he'd hit when he landed. He looked around, trying to recover his bearings before frowning as something suddenly clicked. "Was that a person?" he asked, looking in the direction they'd gone in. Had he really seen that? "Did someone seriously just run past us with a bow?"

"I think so," Lee said, rushing over while trying not to stumble. "It was hard to tell but... You don't think..."

"That rat demon... looked nasty. That would explain the silence. Person explains the bandage and fire. Hang on..." Ray looked around. "Shit! It's heading for the village!" he realised as he got his bearings back.

"Oh, hell!" Lee cursed. "We have to get back and warn everyone!" His eyes widened suddenly. "Shit! Ray, what if that guy was a demon hunter?"

"Son of a- We don't have time to waste," Ray said, glancing about briefly. "The path turns left down there, we can cut through here," he decided before rushing off through the trees. It wouldn't give them that much of a cut but hopefully it would make it easier to catch up. Lee was behind him in a flash. They just had to make it back to the village first! Ray burst out through some bushes, doing a two hundred and seventy degree turn as he checked the area and found evidence of their quarry. "Shit they're fast! This way!" he called back to Lee, not even stopping his pursuit when he checked the area.

"You go on ahead!" Lee shouted. "You're faster! You've gotta warn the village!" Ray brought up an arm to confirm he'd heard Lee and picked up speed. He was running on adrenaline now but used it to his advantage as it gave him a second boost of speed.

000

Ray left the shelter of the trees straight into the clearing that held their home. The rat was now dangerously close to the village, so much so that many of the villagers were already outside, having heard the commotion from further up in the hills. A stone wall proved to be useless as the rat ploughed through it, crossing a field and heading for the first group of huts. Some women and children started screaming and running for cover while the men grabbed any weapon they could get their hands on. The rat let out a howling shriek and leapt forward to attack a straggling child, only to be viciously knocked to the ground as the figure pursuing it jumped up onto its back and forced its head down. Both tumbled over and crashed in through the wall of one of the village shops, vanishing into the shadows. Everything went still.

Ray gulped down air as he surveyed the scene. His blood was rushing, roaring in his ears and his chest heaved, lungs screaming. It hurt to breathe but Ray pushed it aside and started running again. Down towards the shop to see what had happened and hopefully find out if the figure was friend or foe.

By the time Ray got there, the villagers had formed a hesitant circle around the shop. Nobody knew quite what to expect, but the tension in the air was almost suffocating. Several of the men jumped slightly where there was a loud clatter from inside the shop, followed by a quiet growl. The rat's glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness as it gazed back out at the villagers. Ray tensed, ready to strike if the rat attacked.

The demon emerged slowly from the depths of the shadows, ears flat back against its head and teeth bared in a snarl. Its claws were now stained with blood that wasn't its own and the arrow in its shoulder had been ripped out during the tumble into the shop. It studied the villagers carefully, seeking out any possible targets. Eyes landing on a young girl, it hissed.

"Get the women and children back," Ray told the others as he took out his blade and launcher. There was still no sign of life from the one who'd been fighting the rat but Ray could smell their blood. The warm, coppery stench hung thick in the air and Ray felt he'd have to agree with the murmurs from the villagers that the other one must be dead in the shop. Ray knew he didn't have the energy for a prolonged fight. He also still wasn't at full strength, so he didn't know if he could end it in one shot. But he had to try. "Don't look at her, look at me, you stinking, overgrown rodent!" he called, taking aim.

The rat instantly turned its attention to Ray and snarled, feeling threatened by the raising of Ray's beyblade. Its hair bristled up its back, while its long tail thrashed angrily along the ground. Now that it was standing in one place, everyone could get a better look at it. Old wounds covered its body, some infected and badly scarred. Ribs could be seen clearly, showing that it was most likely hungry. The scent it carried, beneath the repulsive odour, wasn't from the area either. It had travelled, and travelled far, from where it had originally come from.

Heavy, rusting shackles were fixed around each of its legs, having been rendered useless long ago and the tubes and wires at the back of its neck were now clearly visible. It looked like something out of a nightmare. Some twisted experiment gone wrong. And it was desperate for blood.

Hissing again, it lunged suddenly, without warning, heading straight for Ray and lifting a large clawed paw to swipe at him. But before it could get too close, the rat screamed and recoiled. An arrow had pierced clean through its paw. Forgetting Ray and the villagers, it spun back round to face its attacker.

The cloaked hunter stepped out of the demolished shop and into the flickering light of the village torches. A bow was clasped in one hand while the other held back an arrow that was pointing directly at the rat. Blood dripped from the arm pulling back the arrow and a tear in the hunter's cloak could be seen. Stepping over the rubble of what had once been the shop wall, he moved slowly round to the side, changing his angle of attack so he wouldn't risk hitting any villagers should the rat dodge his next arrow.

The demon was infuriated. The need to feed was overpowering and it had had enough of being chased all over the countryside by this other, much smaller opponent. Through rage and bloodlust, it had lost its ability to communicate long ago and now it had been reduced to nothing more than a mindless beast.

A heavy moment passed where neither of the two moved, but the hunter had already come up with a plan to finish this rat off once and for all. He jumped into the air the second the rat moved to attack, avoiding the open jaws and flying over its head. Trailing one arm, his bow caught the rat's snout and the larger demon was pulled backwards violently. It crashed to the ground and screamed, wriggling frantically as it tried to recover while the hunter moved in, brandishing a long knife from his side. The rat retaliated just in time, throwing the bow off its snout and raising itself up onto its hind legs. Falling forward in the hopes of crushing its opponent, it aimed to use its teeth and claws to finish them off. But the hunter was too quick, ducking under the mad swipe from both hands and getting in close to the rat's body. With a well-timed punch in the throat, he forced the rat's head up and away from him then ploughed his knife straight into the demon's chest.

A wet, choked scream echoed throughout White Tiger Hills, as blood rushed up out the rat's nose and mouth, while more gushed from the stab wound. The hunter forced the demon off balance and twisted the knife sharply and with that the scream stopped abruptly. Stepping back, he let the rat collapse to the ground with a mighty thud, watching as its blood quickly pooled around its body and soaked into the ground. Finally, the chase was over. The rat was stone dead.

Taking a breath, the victor stepped forward and removed his knife from the creature's body, flicking it to remove some of the blood. Wiping the rest on his cloak, he slid it back into the sheath at his hip and turned to look at the villagers. They we safe now and he had finally accomplished his mission. Eyes lingering on Ray for just a moment, the figure then moved to retrieve his bow.

Remembering the brief moment in the forest when he'd been trying to regain his feet, Ray realised the hunter had looked at him then too. It hadn't really stood out much to him at the time, but now it did stand out with the second look. Clearly he was known to the hunter somehow, but with him being on a beyblade team, that wasn't much of a surprise. The real question was whether or not this person was a threat to them, though instincts told Ray that the stranger was safe. The overpowering stench from the rat was making Ray nauseous, but curiosity and pride held him in place. He could hear the villagers speaking amongst themselves, asking who this stranger was. All attention fell on the hunter.

* * *

Yes, we like Princess Mononoke, but I did some research and they're not solely from that, so yeah.

Mandarin Chinese Translations (they're kind of easy but still)

gege = big brother (pronunciation = like saying get get but without the ts)

mama = mother

baba = father


	3. Chapter 2

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* * *

Last time a demon rat attacked the village and a strange hunter followed the demon and fought with it.

Where did the demon rat come from? Why had it come to them? Who is the mysterious hunter?

Find out all this and more in chapter 2 of Between Two Realms.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Two

Retrieving his bow, the hunter approached the villagers and silently held out his hand. One of the men understood what he was after and handed over his hand torch. The hunter accepted it with a small nod of thanks then returned to the rat and dropped the torch. The demon's body quickly caught fire and started to burn, which was the best thing to do with it.

Ray subconsciously brought up a hand, the back of it covering his nose as he watched the demon burn. Where had it come from? Why had it come here? What had been done to it and why?

The villagers continued to stare at the hunter. "Hold on a minute," one man spoke suddenly as the hunter turned away. "We can't just let him leave like this. He brought that thing here! We deserve an explanation."

"Yeah!" a second man agreed. "He put the whole village in danger. Just who does he think he is?"

The hunter stopped walking, causing the men to flinch back slightly. But when he didn't make any further movements, they found their courage again. "He's brought bad luck to our village. The rat demon could have cursed us! He should pay for what he's done."

"Let's get him!" Several men broke away from the others and approached the hunter.

"Stop it," Ray called out, though rather ineffectively as he choked over the remaining stench. Times like this when heightened senses, particularly smell, were not a good thing. He cringed slightly when he realised the nausea played a major part in it but he refused to back off from the scene like a weak coward. "He didn't lead it... followed."

"Well how do we know he didn't force it to come here?" a villager demanded angrily, while the others moved towards the hunter.

"Careful, he's got a knife, remember?"

"And a bow and arrow," another man added.

Sighing, the hunter dropped his bow with a clatter then removed his knife from his hip. Looking at it for a few seconds, he threw it suddenly and it stabbed into the ground at the men's feet. Several of them let out startled noises, before moving in to grab him.

That's when it happened. A wave of energy burst out, accompanied by a green flash. As the light faded, Driger appeared between the men and the hunter. He snarled quietly in warning.

"Get Tao," Ray called to the girl from before. The men weren't listening to him, but they would listen to Tao. Ray was grateful that Driger had restored order where he could not, but he didn't move closer because he was retching badly. Somebody needed to reason with the men. The hunter hadn't actually attacked any of them, in fact, from what Ray had seen, he'd protected them. He was offering no resistance now, the men needed to calm down. It was wrong to be so hostile towards outsiders. Why couldn't they see that?

The men began to back away as Driger swished his tail in agitation. The flames meanwhile burned even brighter, quickly consuming the corpse and finally destroying the stench. "Enough of this!" Tao said loudly as he arrived, gathering everyone's attention. "You must not act this way towards a friend returning home. This bee has finally come back to the hive and it is only because of him that we still have any honey."

There were several muttered comments of confusion at Tao's words. Ray rubbed his eyes which had watered when he was retching. Someone arrived behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder right away, checking he was alright and Ray nodded, realising it was Lee. It occurred to him that the corpse had burned rather quickly and Ray wasn't sure if that was normal. "Wha?" he asked as Tao's words suddenly processed.

Tao smiled knowingly. "Have you not noticed yet?" he asked. "A leopard cannot change its spots, even if it does paint itself black to hide."

"Just once, could you give a straight-forward answer?" Lee asked as Ray just blinked in bewilderment. He couldn't really tell what Tao was saying. Possibilities crossed his mind but were pushed aside as being completely unlikely as well as wishful thinking and he was left with nothing but confusion.

Behind Tao, Driger disappeared and the figure sighed. "I should have known I couldn't fool you, Sensei." Lifting a hand to his eyes, he removed what appeared to be contact lenses. Then the heavy hood slid back off his head and he pulled off the mask. There was a collective gasp from the villagers. The two toned hair was unusual, but had been seen before. What was unmistakable were the markings on the figure's face. Four blue triangles. It was Kai, alive and in the flesh. Ray just stared at Kai in utter disbelief as Tao welcomed the Russian back. Kai was quiet, but exchanged a few brief words with Tao before looking back at Ray. He gave him a quick glance up and down and frowned. "You've not been eating right," he commented. "You've lost weight."

Ray snapped out of his daze and moved to punch Kai in the face in one swift, seamless, movement. He wasn't at full strength but there was still plenty of force behind his swing. "You... bastard!"

Kai stumbled back slightly from the blow, dropping to one knee as his hand rushed to his cheek. "Nice to see you too," he muttered, rubbing his aching jaw.

Ray grabbed Kai's lapels, pulling him up to his feet again. "I thought you were dead!" he shouted at Kai, shaking the Russian as he ranted. "Everyone thought you were dead! You let me believe that! You let us believe that! I bet most of them still do! Is this your idea of a joke, Kai?"

A hand landed gently on Ray's shoulder. It was Lee. "Stop, Ray, before his head falls off." Kai was currently being shaken like a rag-doll, leaving him too dazed to respond. Ray looked at Lee, then let go of Kai quickly with a sheepish expression, as if he'd only just realised what he was doing. Kai instantly went down on his knees, head spinning a little from being shaken so roughly. Lee stepped forward and held out his hand for Kai to take. The Russian looked at him for a moment, before hesitantly accepting the offer. But no sooner had he got back on his feet that he found himself once again on the floor, this time courtesy of Lee's fist.

Wiping at his bleeding lip, Kai stood up again, this time by himself. "Nothing quite like making someone feel welcome!" he spat.

"What did you expect?" Lee snarled. "Do you have any idea how hard it's been trying to convince Ray to look after himself after he found out about your so-called death?"

A blue-eyed girl slipped past the audience to join them, moving closer to Ray first and tilting her head at the change in him. She then looked at the person everyone else was watching. "Who's that?" she asked.

"He's the one who hurt gege," Lee told her bluntly.

Kai scowled at Lee before turning his attention to the small girl at Ray's side. He frowned slightly. There was something different about her. Compared to the rest of the villagers, her features were far more like an ordinary human's. She had rounded ears, whereas Ray's ears were pointed. A glance at her mouth when she had spoken revealed no fangs. And her pupils were round, not slits like Ray's. A little surprised, Kai concluded that she very much had a human appearance, though there was definitely demon blood in her. Kai decided to store this information away and ask about it later, assuming anyone would talk to him. With the news from Lee, the girl's eyes narrowed and she marched forward to boot Kai in the shin before rushing back to Ray and hugging him around the legs which was where she could actually reach.

Kai couldn't help but let out a curse and a quiet growl in the child's direction. But before he could say anything, he gave a start as a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he recognised the tall figure of Gary, looming over him with barely controlled anger in his expression. The large teen clenched a fist and Kai felt all the fight drain from him. _You've gotta be kidding me..._ was Kai's last conscious thought before the world disappeared abruptly into darkness, accompanied by a resounding thud that echoed around the area they were in.

Ray lifted up Yin and she took her cat form to sit on his shoulders as he moved closer to inspect Kai. "I think you hit him too hard, Gary..."

Gary shrugged. "Gary mad," he announced, looking down at the now knocked out Russian lying on the ground.

"So were Lee, Yin and I, but we didn't give him a concussion," Ray responded, looking up at the larger teen.

Gary scratched at his chin thoughtfully. "Oops."

"You scare me sometimes, Gary," Ray commented quietly before putting his hands on hips and looking down at Kai's unconscious form. "We should get him back to base and patch him up," Ray decided. He looked up at the larger teen once more. "Gary, would you be so kind?" Ray gestured to Kai.

The larger teen nodded without hesitation and scooped Kai up into his arms effortlessly. Droplets of blood landed on the ground at Gary's feet, coming from the open wound on Kai's left shoulder. "He's still bleeding," Gary commented. "And light too."

"The sooner we get him seen to, the better," Ray responded. "I'll go get some more medical supplies just in case and meet you at the base. Go on ahead and make sure he's comfortable." Gary nodded and headed back with the others while Tao ushered the villagers away and inspected what little remains were left of the rat demon.

Along the way, Ray began to suspect that Kai had purposefully caused the fire to burn stronger to dispose of the carcass more quickly because of the affect it had on him. He felt guilty for punching and shaking Kai, especially when the other was wounded. He'd just been so mad at Kai for how he'd been hurt that he simply lost it. When he returned back to his place he made sure he'd found and treated as many of Kai's injuries as possible. With the work done, he dropped to his knees, not noticing when Yin dug in her claws indignantly, and lay down to sleep immediately. The day, or night rather, had been so surreal. Yin curled up on Ray's back to go to sleep, purring contently.

000

Kai awoke the next morning feeling pretty miserable. He knew straight away that he was dehydrated judging from the combination of a headache, dizziness and tiredness. His mouth was as dry as a desert too, to the point where his throat was stinging.

With that figured out, he decided to move on to something else. From what he could tell, this looked like Ray's place. It really hadn't changed since the last time he'd been there. It still felt as peaceful as ever.

_Hn... Peaceful..._ Kai had almost forgotten what that word meant. The last couple of months had been nothing short of a complete nightmare for him. Moving from place to place, keeping a low profile, hiding his identity and the fact that he was alive. He'd been on the run for so long now that lying there like he was felt unnatural.

He certainly didn't feel very well rested and figured it was because he'd been unconscious and not asleep. Sleep was a luxury he couldn't really afford much of these days.

His stomach growled suddenly and Kai grit his teeth. He was hungry too. _I'd better go and check some of the traps. Oh wait, they're far away now._ Once he'd found that rat demon again, that had been all he'd focussed on. It was only because he'd stopped moving that his body was choosing to remind him it needed food.

Slowly, he managed to coax himself into a sitting position; wincing a little as his shoulder wound was stretched slightly. He finally noticed the bandages, wrapped around his shoulder and various other areas where he'd sustained an injury. Kai frowned. He was getting sloppy. How could he keep going if he was constantly going to end up injured?

Slipping out the bed he was in without paying much attention to anything else, he quietly left the house and stepped into the warm morning sunlight. A moment passed as he allowed himself to relax, before he wandered over to a nearby freshwater well. Hoisting up the bucket, Kai cupped the cold water in his hands and splashed his face, wincing as he felt what must be bruises on his cheeks and down his jaw.

"Maybe I should have stayed dead..." he muttered quietly and dunked his head into the bucket. The water was freezing and extremely refreshing. He surfaced a few seconds later and shook as much of it from his hair as he could, then took a drink. It honestly seemed like the best water he'd ever tasted.

Feeling a little better, he wandered back towards the house and sat down on a log pile nearby. Having found his knife outside the door with his cloak, Kai selected a small log and started whittling away at it. He was exhausted, but his body was still convinced that he had to stay awake if he wanted to stay alive. He didn't feel all that comfortable at Ray's house anyway. He felt unwelcome. And if Kai was completely honest with himself then he knew he didn't deserve to be welcomed. _I shouldn't have come back at all... I should have disappeared when I had the chance..._

"So you're awake," Mariah's voice observed as she arrived with her arms full of groceries. There was an odd edge to her voice, like she was both angry and relieved at the same time. Bao followed by her side obediently and paid little mind when a blue Somali cat left Ray's house to watch them all with blue eyes.

Kai hesitated before answering, "Mm."

Mariah set the groceries to one side and faced Kai with her hands on her hips. "I wanna know why you did it, Kai. Why did you just disappear like that and let everyone think you were dead? Do you know how much it hurt him? It hurt us all, but it hit Ray harder. He practically views you as a brother. He was so depressed when he got that letter from Kenny. He went to the nearest town with phones and called to be sure. He called Tala too. Is it everyone, Kai? Did you trick everyone? Why?" She had been tempted to smack him one too, but the bruises he was already sporting persuaded her not to.

Kai stood up quickly, maybe a little too quickly for his head, and glared at the girl in front of him. "Don't you think it's been hard on me too?" he demanded, throwing his knife down into one of the logs. "I've been through hell over the last six months, doing everything in my power to keep all of you safe. I can't remember the last time I had a decent meal and I've been lucky to ever get more than an hour of sleep each day! Constantly moving with nobody to turn to for help. No safe place to go and no signs of things getter better. So forgive me for not considering all your feelings about how horrible it's been for you, but I've been kinda busy trying not to get killed for real!" He was panting by the time he finished, not realising that his rant had ended at near screaming pitch. His body was buzzing with adrenalin, which lately had been his one and only friend.

Mariah's pupils turned to slits in her anger. Kai was missing the point that he was the one who'd been in control. He chose to disappear. Not them. It was his decision. The consequences were brought about from his actions. "You could have ASKED for help!" she snapped at him. "You've always been told that! They'd be there if you needed help! We'd be there if you needed help! You only had to ask! You knew that!" Mariah continued, starting to cry in frustration. "You'd been told enough times! He was hardly eating. He wouldn't listen when I begged him to take something. He just said he wasn't hungry. It was only Tao and Lee who could get him to eat and even then it wasn't as often as it should be. He got worse every day and I-" Mariah broke off with a gasp, looking at the doorway.

"I had to disappear to keep you all safe!" Kai bellowed before he could stop himself.

"Safe from what?" Ray asked quietly in the doorway.

Kai looked sharply at the door, then bit back a curse and looked away. "You don't need to know," he said firmly.

Ray looked down. "I'm sorry, Kai."

Letting out a sound of frustration, Kai ran a hand through his hair. "What are you sorry for? You're not the one who's had to betray everyone they've ever cared about!" Grabbing his knife again, Kai climbed over onto the other side of the log pile and sat down.

"For hitting you, shaking you and annoying you by not minding my own business," Ray answered. Guilt kept him from mentioning that he'd thought they told each other things. "I'm very disappointed in myself for that lapse of self-control. What I said too. I know I didn't show it, but I am glad you're alive. So I'm sorry."

Kai didn't give a reply, focussing instead on repeatedly stabbing the log between his feet. This certainly wasn't how he'd pictured his reunion with some of his friends. He was tired and he'd given everything he had to give. His mind drew a blank when he tried to think of a way to sort this whole disaster out. Mariah watched them briefly then picked up the groceries and headed inside. Bao padded over towards Kai and watched him for several moments. She barked once before following Mariah with her tail wagging. Clearly she remembered the Russian.

Ray watched them both then turned his attention to the Somali. He walked over to her and picked her up. "You guys haven't been properly introduced," he commented and moved in front of Kai. "Kai, this is Yin, Yin, Kai. Yin, aren't you going to say hello?" The cat looked at Ray, then at Kai. She was undecided. Ray decided to give her space, knowing how shy she was and turned his attention back to Kai. Kai's gaze fell away from the two of them almost instantly and his flicking motion of stabbing his knife into the log continued, "Kai?" Ray asked tentatively.

The knife suddenly stopped. "Yeah...?" Kai's voice was quiet and slightly hoarse. He hadn't done much speaking in the last few months and his vocal chords were somewhat out of practice.

"I really am sorry."

Sighing, Kai lifted his head and stared off down the path towards the forest. The birds were singing again today and he could sense the presence of the familiar tree spirits. Everything was slowly returning to normal, to how it should be. Kai took small comfort in that. "I forgive you," he said quietly, though Ray didn't need to ask for forgiveness. Kai was the one who had hurt him. He idly traced his hand down his bandaged shoulder and arm, feeling the wound throb. It would take a while to heal but Kai knew he was lucky it hadn't been more serious. That rat demon had been so filthy and full of disease that earlier wounds he'd sustained from it had become infected within hours. He'd done his best to keep them clean and treat them with whatever herbs and other natural remedies he could find, but his body was still heavy from the strain.

Yin jumped down to the ground and Ray let her. She took on a human form and clambered up the logs. "You tricked gege's baba?" she asked Kai.

Kai turned and looked at her for a moment, then swallowed and nodded. "Yes," he answered quietly.

The child grinned. "Say hn."

Kai raised an eyebrow a little and then a hesitant smile appeared on his lips, "Hn."

"You're honoured, Kai. She's normally very shy," Ray commented as the little girl cheered and hopped down from the logs giggling. Yin then appeared to remember that she hadn't greeted Kai yet and dashed back to do so.

"Nothing wrong with being shy," Kai commented quietly, looking at the little girl in front of him.

"I'm just saying she's spoken to you much quicker than she does most people," Ray replied.

"Hi," Yin said to Kai, "Nice to meet you."

Kai smiled, "Nice to meet you too. Sorry I upset gege."

Yin nodded, satisfied. "Good. I forgive you. Sorry I kicked you."

"I think I'll survive."

"What are those?" Yin asked pointing at the blue markings.

"A rebellious act that became a part of me," Kai told her, "Part of a mask."

"You look like you're going to war," Yin commented.

Kai let out a quiet, exhausted sigh. "I might as well be in one," he told Yin.

"Why?" Yin asked as Ray sat down beside Kai.

"It's just my life," Kai explained. "Like a war." He glanced at Ray when the other sat down.

Yin continued to ask questions for a few minutes then scampered off somewhere to play. Ray looked at Kai. "She lost her parents and had no one else to turn to so Fabian brought her here," he explained. "Her father was a bakeneko. As you saw, she inherited his shape-changing ability."

"Poor kid," Kai murmured. "She's so young."

Ray nodded. "At first she wouldn't speak to anyone. But she followed me around. She then started using smaller sentences. The longer ones only started last week."

"Probably because you've given her the confidence she needed to unlock her words," Kai mused, leaning forward to rest his chin in one hand. _I wish I'd had someone help me like that when I was her age._

"She's really bright too," Ray told Kai. "She picks up on things and really understands them." Kai nodded with a quiet hum of acknowledgement. "Thanks for taking care of that demon," Ray commented.

Kai's eyes drifted shut as he enjoyed the heat of the sun on his skin. "Don't mention it. I'm just sorry I let it come here. I've been chasing it for months."

"If that demon hadn't come here... would you have?"

Kai cracked his eyes open. "Not straight away," he admitted. "Before it crossed the border I never intended to leave Russia."

"I see," Ray said softly, looking at the ground in front of them, "So what now? You didn't intend to come here so what are your plans?"

The Russian shrugged. "I knew I needed to come here. I just didn't expect it to be this soon... I wanted to tell you all the truth for ages, but it was too risky. You were safer thinking I was dead." He sighed heavily. "But now, I don't know. If I'm permitted to stay, then I will. My body needs time to recover."

"The Elders told you last time you were here that you'd always be welcome and I really don't want you to leave," Ray replied looking at Kai.

Kai met his gaze and smiled. "Thanks... I've missed you guys..."

"We've missed you too," Ray replied. "I've missed the others too and it's kinda bad that I only went to make a call to them a fortnight ago when I got that letter. I just figured they were all really busy since I hadn't heard from them in six months. Kenny said that Tyson and Hilary took it hard though."

Kai's shoulders sank. _Hilary..._ He suddenly felt ill at the thought of how much he must have hurt her and held his head in his hands. He couldn't take much more and his shoulders started to tremble.

"Kai?" Ray asked quietly in concern as he placed a hand on Kai's shoulder.

The contact made Kai jump at first, but after a moment he slowly started to relax. "I'm okay..." he mumbled. "Just a bit stressed out..."

"Just take it easy," Ray told him.

"Here," Mariah said as she left the house with two bowls of salad, one for each of them. "And I wanna see clean plates. You both need to put some weight on."

Kai lifted his head long enough to mumble a quiet thank you then dropped it again. He was still shaking and goose-bumps were now rushing up his arms. He knew he needed to eat but he just didn't feel like it right now. Having gone so long with hardly eating, his body had grown accustomed to not getting much and right now the idea of forcing himself to eat didn't appeal either. Ray thanked Mariah too and began to eat as she headed back inside.

After a few minutes, Kai managed to stop his shaking long enough to sit up straight. He then lifted his bowl and slowly started to pick at it. Salad was a welcome change to small animal meat which had been roasted over camp fires. Kai let his mind wander back to how he'd managed to survive for the last six months and his bowl was soon empty. A few times, Ray considered asking Kai what exactly he'd been doing since his disappearance, but he knew Kai didn't like to be pestered, so he held his tongue. Placing his bowl down next to him, Kai sighed. "You've got questions..."

Ray looked at him. "You can tell, huh?" he asked then faced forward. "I guess I wanna know where you've been, what you've been doing, why you pretended to be dead, that sorta thing. But if you don't wanna talk about it, that's fine. I'm just glad you're back."

"I will tell you everything," Kai began, "Just not right now. I need to speak with the elders, so you'll find out more then. What I will say now is that I followed that rat demon all the way from Russia and it's taken me two months to finally bring it down. I haven't been using my full power, since I've been keeping a low profile. And I've been suffering because of that." He rested his chin in one hand again. "I ache everywhere..."

"All those punches and that couldn't have done you any favours," Ray commented sheepishly. "Sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Keep my secret?" Kai glanced sideways at him. "Please don't tell the others about me being alive. For the moment at least, it's best that they don't know."

Ray nodded in agreement. "I won't tell. Just... don't make them wait too long. They've known about your much disappearance longer than I have."

"Mm. I won't," Kai agreed and went back to staring down the path. A few minutes later the sun disappeared behind the clouds causing him to shiver.

"Do you want to go inside?" Ray asked.

"Might be an idea," Kai mused. "Would you mind if I lay down for a while? I'm tired and I don't think being unconscious counts as being asleep."

"I don't mind at all," Ray answered. Kai thanked him and stood up to head back inside, retrieving his knife and placing it back where it belonged at his hip. Ray took the bowls to be cleaned and then joined Mariah for a quiet conversation, during which he learned that Lee, Gary and Kevin were helping to repair the damage done by the demon. Ray asked why no one had woken him and Mariah told him that because he hadn't been at full strength for a while they'd agreed it was best to let him sleep. He hadn't taken very good care of himself after all and it had caused a great deal of concern amongst them.

000

After a couple of days to recover and build up strength again Kai requested a meeting with the village elders. He wanted to explain his circumstances in confidence with those who would listen, so the meeting was arranged to be held in the main hall of the village. Once everyone who was supposed to be there had arrived; the doors and window shutters were locked from the inside, to ensure maximum security and privacy. This had been done on request from Kai himself as some of what he had to say was alarming and he didn't want the whole village to find out and panic. With everything organised, Kai sat down on a cushion before the elders, including Tao, accompanied by Ray and Lee and began to tell his story. He started with the demon.

"That rat demon wasn't normal as you will have noticed. It didn't come to be the way you or I have. It was a genetic experiment, grown in a test tube at one of Biovolt's old labs. Voltaire has found a way to create lethal bit beasts at a cheaper cost. Instead of syphoning the spirits from live animals; they've started capturing weaker demons and tampering with their DNA, often mixing several together and inducing unnatural transformations. As a result these creations are very powerful, dangerous and very unstable. That rat escaped from one of their research facilities over two months ago and has been terrorising small towns and settlements ever since. It preyed on young children and unfortunately I wasn't able to stop it in time before it made several kills. I drove it out into the tundra and it tried to escape me. Eventually, we both crossed the border and finally arrived here in White Tiger Hills. You know what happened after that."

"Then there really is no hope left of secrecy between the two realms," Tyoro commented softly. "It's only a matter of time before the humans are fully aware of the demons living alongside them."

Kai nodded. "That's what Voltaire is counting on. He wants the human world to find out about demons and he plans to be the one to break the news himself. World domination is still his ultimate goal and now he's closer to having the means to do it. I don't know exactly how many labs and research facilities he has spread out across Russia and various other countries, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's raising an army. An army of demon and bit beast hybrids," Kai paused and sighed quietly. "He's planning on starting a war between the two sides, with the intention of being the one man who can stop it. If he succeeds, then he'll have the whole world right in the palm of his hand."

"That's insane," Lee commented. "The demons won't take kindly to manipulation."

Kai nodded. "Some of them have already tried to rebel. But they've all been killed. Voltaire doesn't care. They're all just pieces on the chess board."

"What about those devices?" Ray asked. "Has that plan been scrapped?"

"They've taken aspects of the program and placed it in a new piece," Kai answered. "But it's nowhere close to completion because the test subjects keep dying, or manage to break it before it takes effect."

"So you've been fighting him again?" Ray asked Kai, "On your own?"

"Only once," Kai replied. One of his hands lifted slowly to the back of his neck, as he recalled what had happened. "The new device attaches to the back of the neck at the base of the skull and connects itself to the central nervous system of its host. The pain is indescribable and the subject ends up becoming nothing more than a puppet on a string, controlled entirely by the device and the person with the remote." Hand falling away from his neck again, Kai swallowed. "Voltaire managed to plant one on me when I was incapacitated and tried to control me. Luckily, I was able to resist and destroy it before it took hold of me completely. I brought down the lab after that, but I was in a bad way. So I decided to let him believe I was dead and took off."

"And to make sure he believed you were dead, you let everyone else think the same?" Ray asked.

"To keep you all safe," Kai confirmed. "The device really screwed me up. I was out of commission for almost three weeks. If he'd known I was alive, but too weak to stop him, he would have come after all of you as a way of getting to me. But with me dead, he lost interest in the rest of you."

"So what are your plans now?" Lee asked.

Kai sighed wearily. "I can't keep up what I've been doing alone. There are just too many demons to deal with. I'm not the only one to escape and others have spread the word of what Voltaire is planning. A resistance is building and if it isn't stopped, then things will never be the same again." He hung his head forward. "As powerful as I am, it's still not going to be enough... I need help."

"Fabian is due to visit within the next week or so. When he does, we will pass on what you have told us to him," Tyoro responded. "This is an issue that concerns more than just you or us. It threatens everything the demon council have worked to achieve and as such, they should be informed. For now, this is all we can do."

"I know it's bigger than just me," Kai commented quietly. "That's why I told you."

"You've made the right choice in doing so. The demon council will be aware of many of the consequences, as they'll be working to clean up the mess, but any and all additional information will prove most helpful," Tyoro informed him.

Kai nodded. "The sooner they're told, the better. But I do have one condition."

"Go on," Tyoro prompted.

"Until things are further forward, I don't want anyone outside of the village knowing that I am alive. Some demons have actually sided with Voltaire in the hopes of world domination. If they find out the truth, all of the people I care about will be at risk." Kai glanced briefly at Ray. "For their sake, the fact that I'm alive must be kept secret."

"Very well," Tyoro agreed. "As soon as Fabian arrives we will notify him of all this. As frustrating as it may be, we have no choice but to wait for them to come to us. Even we do not know of their location."

Kai nodded in acceptance of this. "Is it still alright for me to remain here for the time being? I noticed some of the villagers aren't exactly happy to see me, after what happened with the rat."

"They'll get over that quickly enough if they're not already," Lee commented.

"As I recall, most of that displeasure was while you were still disguised," Ray agreed.

"Unless you count the beatings from us, but that was for a different reason," Lee added.

"Yeah," Kai grumbled, rubbing at his jaw and cheek which were both still bruised.

"Don't tell me you didn't expect that sort of reaction?" Lee asked him.

Kai gave him a look. "Not from three of you, one after the other."

"It would have been more if Mariah and Kevin had been there at the time," Lee pointed out. "You'll probably get a lot more than that when you make it public if I know Tyson like I think I do."

Kai tried hard to suppress a groan. "Maybe I should have stayed dead."

"Don't be stupid," Lee chastised him.

"Hn. Maybe I'm not being stupid, but honest."

"Look, you got hit because you upset a lot of people. Probably a lot more than you realise," Lee shrugged.

Kai looked away as a certain brown eyed girl's face flashed through his mind. _Hilary..._ he thought sadly, before standing up. He headed for the door since the meeting was pretty much over anyway. "I do realise," he said quietly then unlocked the main door and slipped out.

000

A few days had passed and the village were still waiting for Fabian's arrival. Ray was speaking with Kai while his team were out training. Yin came by to show Ray a butterfly she had caught before dashing off to release it and continue to play. "She actually lives with Huizhong, an old lady who lives near the centre of the village, not that you would think it with how much time she spends coming here," Ray commented to Kai once the child had dashed off. "I don't think I ever introduced you to Huizhong, huh? She never had any children of her own, but she helps with raising all the children in the village, even me. She always wanted children, so she was delighted to take in Yin, but she doesn't mind Yin coming up here, even when she decides to spend the night, just as long as she doesn't stray from the village."

Kai nodded to show he was listening. The feeling of family in the village was something he had never experienced before and as a result was both comforting and a little upsetting. Kai would have given just about anything to grow up in a community like this, surrounded by people who cared about each other. He smiled as he watched Yin play. "She's a sweet little thing," he murmured, "So innocent."

"I knew you'd like her," Ray commented, "Except when she decided to kick you. I thought that might make a difference. Hey, Kai, um..." Ray frowned. He didn't want to bring up the monastery, but there was something he was curious about. Did Kai know that he was the reason Ray's senses had improved? Did he know he'd woken the dormant demon side to Ray? But the whole thing had come about in a bad place. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. Ray smiled, "Never mind."

"Just tell me," Kai said, pulling out his knife and a piece of wood he'd been working on for the last few days. It had slowly started to form the shape of a cat and Kai intended to give it to Yin once it was finished.

Ray looked at him for a moment then turned his attention back to watching Yin, thinking how to word it so he could avoid causing discomfort as much as possible. "You know, the people of this village have demon blood, but they're not half demon... They haven't been half demon for a long time. Over the generations the blood's become diluted, as it were. I'm not like that anymore. Did you know?"

Kai's knife paused for a second as he considered Ray's words. "I do now."

"It's why my senses suddenly improved," Ray told him, "When I said something had changed. It was me. **I** had changed. I didn't work it out. Fabian was able to tell that the demon blood had awakened and Tao worked out the cause." Ray turned his head to look at the Russian. "It was you. Your energy did it."

"Well, I guess that saves me having to explain it to you," Kai commented, "Since you've already worked it out." He returned to his carving. "It was the only thing I could think of to bring you back to yourself. At the time, I wasn't aware my energy could do that to you, but I soon figured it out."

"I only worked it out with Tao's help," Ray commented facing forward again. "It was while we thought you were dead. He told me, but you know there's some working out to be done with anything Tao says."

Kai chuckled. "Oh, I know," he agreed. "I never did like riddles, but I got used to them after spending time training with him."

"I like riddles. It's just that most of Tao's ones make my head spin."

"I wonder what he was like when he was our age," Kai thought out loud, "If he was always like that."

Ray laughed. "Who knows? I can't actually imagine him being any different though."

Kai paused again, this time to smirk and shake his head. "The idea of Tao being anything but...well, Tao, is actually more disturbing I think," he commented, causing his friend to laugh. Ray stood up suddenly before jumping up to the roof, looking around, jumping down again and looking around the corners then folding his arms thoughtfully. "What is it?" Kai asked him.

"Isn't this normally the part when the person you're talking about shows up and scares the crap out've ya?" Ray asked in return.

Kai smirked, "Usually. Then again, Tao probably wouldn't follow that pattern, just to be different."

"Someone is actually coming though, even if it's not Tao. Huan's heading this way with a letter," Ray told Kai after grinning at his comment. The man came into view just after Ray finished speaking. There was no doubt about Huan's destination. "You know, it's probably from Kenny," Ray commented to Kai quietly.

Kai snorted quietly. "I'm surprised the Chief even knows how to write a letter, since he's always on his laptop typing."

"Then it may be a shock that he's the one I hear from the most. Mr Dickenson sometimes writes, but he's really busy so it's not often. But I only know about how Tyson and Max are doing because Kenny tells me," Ray informed Kai before thanking Huan as he handed Ray an envelope. Huan didn't hang about long as he had other errands to run, but wished the three of them a good day as he left. Yin didn't speak but she did wave to the man. Ray opened the envelope and scanned the letter's contents before holding it out to Kai. "I think you'd better see this."

Kai frowned slightly and took the letter, wondering what could be of any particular interest to him in it. His grandfather's name leapt up off the page at him in an instant and Kai found himself tensing up automatically.

He read slowly, letting every word sink into his brain and process. At the end, his hand fell slowly to his side, the paper slipping from his grasp and floating to the floor. Kai's eyes were fixed on the ground in a hard stare and his jaw muscles tightened as he clenched his teeth. His blood was boiling, heartbeat suddenly thumping in his ears and hands tingling. Kai couldn't believe it.

Voltaire was dead...

Ray picked up the letter again. "Kenny says it's all over the news, but this freak accident thing? That doesn't seem right for some reason. What do you think happened?"

"He went too far and his plans backfired," Kai muttered, before walking away stiffly. He needed to let off some steam, away from the village where he didn't need to worry about anyone getting too close.

"Kai?" Ray asked worriedly.

Kai didn't stop. "I'll be above the falls," he said over one shoulder.

Ray wondered if maybe he should let Kai have his own space for the moment. Kai had said where he was going after all. Ray tried to imagine how it must have been for Kai. If it had been Ray losing a relative who he disliked, he'd probably be upset. But this wasn't just a relative who Kai disliked. This was the man who had made Kai's life a living hell, the man who ordered his mother's execution. It should be a good thing for Kai that Voltaire was dead. But then... on the other hand... Kai had had no part in it. And now any chance for revenge was lost. Ray sighed and sat down again, watching Yin play. He read the letter once more before lying back to stare at the sky. "But what about Boris?" he wondered aloud.

Mariah's face suddenly appeared above Ray, her ponytail hanging down from the top of her head. "What about Boris, Ray?" she asked, looking down at him.

"I'm just thinking out loud," Ray told her. "I got another letter from the Chief. He mentioned Voltaire in it, but not Boris."

"More trouble?" Mariah asked. "I noticed Kai walking off. Is he mad?"

"Voltaire's dead," Ray replied. "And it wasn't by Kai's hand."

Mariah let out a sharp gasp and covered her mouth with both hands. Standing up straight, she stared off in the direction Kai had disappeared in. "I can't believe it," she breathed, eyes wide. Her hands lowered from her mouth and she looked back down at Ray. "What now?"

"I dunno. I'm gonna give Kai some time and space just now and then ask him that myself," Ray answered.

Mariah hummed quietly in agreement and sat down next to Ray. "Wait a minute. If Voltaire's gone, who's been left to run that huge company he owns? Hiwatari Enterprise, wasn't it?"

"Um, probably Kai's father... Ooh," Ray winced at the thought of it. He might have been ill at the time, but he remembered how well Kai got on with his father. He also remembered what Kai had told him. "Kai won't like that... He doesn't like the man..."

"Hilary told me a little bit about that once," Mariah mused, thinking back. "I was under the impression that Kai was made heir to the company. That's what Hilary seemed to think."

"Well everyone outside this village still think Kai's dead. So what else can they do?"

"They might sell the company," Mariah replied. "Someone else could buy it when it's rightfully Kai's, even if he doesn't want it." Mariah worried her lip. "I think he should go back, Ray."

"I think so too, but it's Kai's call to make," Ray commented quietly. A few minutes passed before Ray sat up with another sigh. "Could you take Yin back to Huizhong's place for me, please Mariah? I'm gonna go try speak with Kai. Normally I'd give him longer... Look, I don't expect to be back for a good few hours, so don't wait for me, okay?"

The girl nodded. "Just be careful, yeah?"

Ray smiled and nodded. "Yeah," he agreed before leaving for the waterfall, calling to Yin to behave for Mariah as he left.

000

The lower falls where Ray and the others normally did their training was deserted, as Kai had gone further up like he'd said he would. Sitting by one of the deep pools a safe distance from the falls he stared at his reflection in the water. For someone who was suffering the amount of inner turmoil that he was, Kai was doing very well to hide it. So far the only victim of his frustration had been a piece of driftwood, bobbing around in the middle of the pool. Kai had been the one to chuck it in there, but had tired of throwing stones at it after only a few minutes.

Sighing heavily, he forced himself to his feet and kicked off his shoes. His shirt followed a few seconds later, leaving him in just the black combats he was wearing. Taking a breath, he let himself fall forward into a lazy dive, deciding that a cool swim might help calm down his white hot temper. Ray approached the water quietly but left a distance when he settled down again. He knew Kai would realise he wanted something, but by sitting down he was giving Kai the space to decide when to deal with Ray's unspoken request. Kai surfaced on the other side of the pool, already knowing that Ray had arrived and turned to look back at him. Ducking back under the water, he swam back across to see what was up.

"There are a few things I'm wondering about," Ray told Kai when the other arrived. "The first being what your plans are. Obviously I know you haven't had much time to make any plans. But you have to know you should return or you could lose everything that's rightfully yours. The second being if there's any way I can help you, even if you want someone to spar with or rant at. I don't mind. I'd be happy to help."

Folding his arms on the rocks, Kai rested his chin in them. The cold water had helped to clear his head a bit and look at the situation from a different angle. "I need to go back to Japan," he decided. "I've led everyone on long enough." A small smirk appeared on his lips. "Besides, there's only so much you can do when you're dead."

"They'd worried about you longer than I had. Well, actually they didn't even give me the opportunity to worry at all. I can only imagine what they're all feeling. You better apologise to them for that."

The smirk vanished. "Yes, I know. But they can shout at me and hate me all they want. At the end of the day, I still did that to protect all of you."

"Do you ever stop to think that maybe we want to do the same for you?" Ray asked bluntly. "Protect you, I mean."

Kai frowned. "It's not a competition. You guys could have had trained killers after you. The only way to stop them was for me to convince everyone that I was dead."

"I didn't mean it as a competitive type of thing. Kai, you matter to us, so much. We want you safe, just as you want us safe. You know, a lot of us really look up to you too. Friendship isn't a one way street. It works both ways. It's fine to give help, but you should also accept..." Ray sighed in defeat. "You know what, just forget it. Forget I mentioned it."

"Hn," Kai got out of the water abruptly and grabbed his stuff. "I came back, didn't I," he said pointedly, before walking away across the rocks.

Several things crossed Ray's mind. Such as Kai admitting that he wouldn't have come back as soon as he had if it hadn't been for the demon. That it was mostly the Demon Council's help he was, had been, after. That he was only coming out of hiding because Voltaire was gone. If it hadn't been for the rat demon, Ray would have probably been the last to know about Kai actually being alive too. Last to know again. But arguing with Kai was just exhausting. "Yeah, you did," Ray responded to further prove the point that he'd given up arguing his point. It may not have been a full blown argument, but it was still a difference of opinion and Kai had won. Simple as that.

Kai turned back on his heels. "Well then cut me some slack, will you. I'm trying. I'm sorry that it hasn't been ideal, but I didn't exactly have much fun over the last six months either!"

"I'm sorry."

Kai grumbled and turned away again. "Go back to the village. I'm not going to be doing much talking for the next while. Need to think."

Ray stood up. "You don't need to be talking for me to enjoy your company by the way. And I meant it when I said I'd be happy to help in any way I could," he commented before starting to head back for the village, smarting a little from the dismissal, but deciding he had brought it on himself.

000

It was well into the evening by the time Kai returned to the village. While away, he'd managed to not only think everything through, but also get some training in and even finish the carving of the cat he'd started. Through courtesy, he decided to knock on the doorway to Ray's place rather than just walk in. Their earlier squabble was still on his mind and Kai wasn't sure if he'd overstepped any boundaries.

There was the sound of excited barking from the other side of the door and Mariah's voice telling Bao to be quiet before Lee opened the door. He raised an eyebrow at Kai before frowning and stepping back, pulling the door open to let Kai in. "Ray's brooding and you're knocking on the door. Now I know something's happened," he commented to the Russian.

"I told you, Lee," Mariah spoke up, "He's got a lot on his mind. He'll tell us when he's ready. It's probably got a lot to do with Boris anyway and the fact that Kenny's only been writing with big news lately."

Kai stepped inside and moved without hesitation to the bed where Ray was sitting. Kai stood silently in front of the other teen, waiting for him to look at him. Sensing the other's presence, Ray pulled himself from his thoughts and looked up. He may have looked like he was meditating but, just as his team had suspected, he'd actually been thinking about something. Kai took a breath and let it out slowly. "I need your help," he spoke quietly.

Ray blinked, surprised at the request, before nodding his agreement to help. "What do you need me to do?" he asked seriously.

"... I'm going to need to go and look at the body," Kai told him. "And... I'd like someone there, who can help me get through it. You don't have to go in and see it yourself, but I need closure." At his sides, Kai's hands clenched weakly into fists. "I need someone who I can trust, to keep me grounded. Keep me sane."

"Sure," Ray agreed. Knowing that Kai still trusted him especially to such an extent meant a lot to Ray. Kai could have easily turned to any of the others once he'd revealed himself to still be alive. Like one of the Blitzkrieg Boys who'd experienced a hellish upbringing like Kai had and could relate to what he'd been through. The fact that Kai had come to Ray instead and asked for his help told Ray that Kai had actually listened to what he'd said earlier and not dismissed it in anger or frustration. "I can do that."

A half smirk appeared on Kai's face. "Thank you." It was more than just a way of showing his gratitude. It was also an apology.

"So when do you plan to leave?" Ray asked. The Elders would still need to speak with Fabian, Ray had already reported to them about the letter, but they could handle that alone.

"As soon as possible," Kai answered. "I'll need to set things straight with the company before I do anything else." He frowned slightly in thought. "My company..." It sounded weird and Kai wasn't sure if he liked the sound of it. But it was an opportunity for him and his responsibility.

"We can leave tomorrow if you want," Ray suggested. "We just need to inform the Elders, so that when Fabian shows up they'll know you're not here."

Kai nodded. "That's probably the best option, if you're okay with going at such short notice."

Ray nodded. "I'm fine with leaving at short notice, trust me," he told Kai and looked over to his team, "Sorry, guys."

"It's okay," Lee assured him, "We understand."

"Yeah, we're used to it by now," Kevin commented, before being thumped on the head by Mariah. "Hey, I'm just stating a fact," Kevin complained.

"You could have worded it better," Mariah responded.

"I wouldn't ask if the situation wasn't so urgent," Kai spoke, looking at the others. "Sorry I'm taking him away."

"Like I said, we understand," Lee repeated. "To be honest, I was sorta expecting this when Ray started brooding earlier."

"Sometimes he just needs to get out of this place and we accept that," Kevin agreed.

"And we trust you, Kai," Mariah put in.

A brief lopsided smirk appeared on Kai's face. "At least somebody does."

"Just both of you watch yourselves out there," Lee commented seriously. He looked at Kai, "Even the Panthers heard of your "death" and they were quick to bring it up with us when we found out about it. They're still harbouring a bit of a grudge against you, Kai, Omar in particular. And we know they're after Driger."

Kai snorted. "That the little punk whose face I rearranged, using the floor?" He couldn't help but feel a slight bit of cruel amusement. "Don't worry about them. I'll take care of it if necessary."

"Yeah, well, you might find this hard to believe, but Ray almost ended up in a fight with them," Lee commented to Kai. Kai looked round at Ray and raised an eyebrow.

"Omar said something that got me angry," Ray offered as an explanation.

Kai regarded him silently for a moment. "There's more to it than that, isn't there?" he asked. "I know you, Ray. You meditate when things are bothering you and generally keep a pretty good level of control on your emotions." He took a step towards Ray. "So, whatever Omar said must've hit a raw nerve."

Ray sighed. "When we thought you were dead he called you an asshole and said you'd gotten what was coming to you," he muttered.

"Hn," Kai nodded slightly. "I probably would have said the same thing if I was him."

Ray tensed slightly, still annoyed at Omar despite the time that had passed and the fact that Kai wasn't dead like they had believed at the time. "It was completely inappropriate," he commented.

"Yes. But getting into a fight wouldn't have made any difference," Kai pointed out. "Still, I appreciate you wanting to defend my honour, for all of it that I actually have."

"You're my friend and I respect you, even if you don't think much of yourself. I don't like the fact he said that full stop, never mind it being while we thought you were dead."

Kai smirked. "Well then, the joke's on them the next time they appear. I'll be the last person they'll be expecting to see," he commented and Ray smiled a little at that.


	4. Chapter 3

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Three

The next morning, the boys were up and ready to set off on the long journey out of White Tiger Hills and back into civilisation. Luckily the weather looked like it was going to be nice again. Mariah handed Ray his bag outside. Kai was still in the house, doing something or other. "You be careful, okay," Mariah said to Ray. "Don't go getting yourself into trouble."

"Don't worry, Mariah. I'll be fine. You guys all take care too," Ray replied.

Mariah sighed. "It's not us I'm worried about." She toed the ground nervously with her foot. "Just, try not to let Kai lead you into too much danger..."

Ray smiled, "Look, don't worry. I'll be fine. Besides, Kai doesn't actually lead me into danger."

"No, but you will follow him," Mariah commented.

"In all fairness, Kai's normally the one following in those situations to pull me out of danger. Either way, everything's gonna be fine."

Mariah finally cracked a smile. "It had better be, or you'll end up in big trouble."

Kai finally stepped out of the house into the morning light and the rest of the White Tigers looked at him in surprise. His eyes were brown because he was wearing contact lenses, the four blue triangles were gone from his face and his front bangs had changed from their normal slate colour to a dark blue-black colour. He looked completely different and it was weird.

"That's gonna take some getting used to," Ray commented.

Kai smirked. "I had to find an easy way to change my appearance so I'd look like my picture," he explained, tossing a passport to Ray. It was a very convincing fake with Kai's new look in it, under the name of Mikhail Zjukovski.

"Easy way?" Ray asked. "First of all, I'd imagine contacts to be rather uncomfortable. Secondly, what exactly did you use on your hair? Is that permanent?"

Kai pulled out a small spray can and twiddled it in his hand. "Nah. It'll come out after a few washes. It's just a quick way of doing it. And contacts don't actually bother me."

Ray hummed a response as he held the passport back out to Kai before turning his head as Yin ran up the path towards them calling out to Ray. "Yin," Ray acknowledged as the child hugged him.

"I wanted to say bye," Yin told him then looked up at Kai and grinned. "You look funny," she commented to him.

Kai smiled. "It's a disguise. Not as cool as your transformation, but it still works."

Yin smiled brightly, delighted with the compliment, before looking a little worried. "You coming back?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah, we'll be back," Kai assured her. "I promise." He put his hand into his pocket and pulled something out. "Here. I have something for you." Yin stepped forward curiously. Kai opened his hand to reveal a small wooden carving of a cat in his palm. It was the project he'd been working away on since he'd arrived in the village. "I thought you might like it. You've been watching me whittle away at that log for a while now, but I never let you see what I was making before." Yin gasped as she picked up the model cat to see closer before hugging Kai tightly and thanking him. Kai couldn't help but feel happy as the little girl hugged him and returned it gently. "Look after it for me, okay? Then when Ray and I come back, I'll make you another one." Yin nodded with a sound of agreement, positively beaming. Kai petted her hair gently and then lifted his bag, slinging it over one shoulder. "Ready, Ray?"

"Yup," Ray answered with a nod, putting his own bag over his shoulder. "Be good, Yin. And all of you take care."

"You too, Ray," Lee responded.

"We'll miss you," Mariah added, while Kai started to head off down the track.

"I'll miss you guys too," Ray responded and dipped his head to give Mariah a quick kiss before following Kai down the path and waving back at them over his shoulder.

000

News of Voltaire's death had even made headlines in Hong Kong and Ray bought one of the papers to read for any details since Kenny hadn't said much. "How's your Mandarin?" Ray asked Kai when they were on the plane, offering the newspaper to the older teen. Ray couldn't really find much in it, apart from the fact that Boris had been arrested. He felt some satisfaction from that bit of news and wondered if Kenny had known.

Kai took the paper with a quiet comment that he could read most of it, but wasn't fluent yet and so took a little longer. He handed the paper back to Ray when he was done. "I'll need to go to the prison."

Ray looked at him and nodded in agreement, "Okay." Boris had played a huge part in the hell Kai had been through so it was understandable he'd want some closure there too. "It's over now, right?" he asked hopefully. He may not have been exposed to Biovolt anywhere near as long as Kai, or even the Blitzkrieg Boys, had but he had ended up in the hospital because of them and being held hostage as a pawn against Kai. He too wanted closure on the matter.

Kai turned his head to look out the small window of the plane. "Almost," he mumbled. "The end is in sight."

"That's got to be some relief for you all the same, right?"

"I guess..." Kai agreed quietly.

"So what will it be first?" Ray asked quietly.

Kai almost shuddered. "I'll need to face the others first," he decided, "Before going public."

Ray lifted an eyebrow then smiled grimly. "Yeah, that's gonna be fun," he commented dryly. He doubted the others would be very pleased with him either since he hadn't told them about Kai being alive.

"Yeah..." Kai agreed, rubbing his cheek at the thought. "My face can't wait."

"Well, it can't be much worse than Gary, right?"

"I really hope not," Kai replied, before closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window. He wanted to at least try and catch a bit of sleep before he would have to face his old team again. Something was telling him he'd need all the strength he could get. Ray left Kai to it, happy to catch a nap for himself during the two and a half hour flight.

000

"I'll support you through this too," Ray commented to Kai as they headed towards Tyson's house.

Kai swallowed and nodded, resisting the urge to turn and run when Tyson's place came into view. "What if they hate me for all this?"

"They're not gonna hate you, Kai," Ray answered. "Thinking you had died just really, really hurt. They'll be mad about that, but they won't hate you and they'll get over it."

Kai could feel his heart pounding in his chest and shut his eyes tight for a moment. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You go first."

"Okay," Ray replied with a nod before heading into the grounds and looking around. The place was rather quiet, with the exception of there being sounds coming from the dojo. It seemed Ryu Granger had a class at the moment but Ray couldn't pick out Tyson's voice amongst the students. If he wasn't with his grandpa in the dojo then he was either in the house or out somewhere. Ray headed for the door and knocked. It had been some time since he'd last been here and he was showing up unannounced.

The door opened revealing Kenny on the other side. "Ray!" he exclaimed, shocked. "This is a surprise."

"Hi Kenny," Ray replied. It wasn't surprising that Kenny was there, he was Tyson's best friend after all. But it did surprise Ray that Kenny was the one to answer the door. "How's Tyson holding up then?"

Kenny sighed heavily. "He's burned through seven beyblades in the last two weeks and his school work is going downhill. None of us know what to do." Ray glanced back behind himself over his shoulder. "What is it?" Kenny asked, cocking his head slightly.

"Uh, just trying to think of something," Ray answered, facing the shorter teen again. "Could you convince him to come out here and meet me?" Ray asked.

Kenny didn't need to as Tyson appeared behind him in the doorway. His eyes were dull, but hidden underneath that was a glint of anger that he'd clearly been carrying around for a while. He also seemed to have not been sleeping well going by the slight bags under his eyes. "Ray," he greeted quietly.

"Hey Tyson," Ray returned the greeting warmly, but wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now. Kai said to go first and now he was hiding, so Ray was faced with both Kenny and Tyson, on his own and he had no idea what to do. He quietly mused that he and Kai should have probably discussed some sort of plan or something. The six Ps after all; 'proper planning prevents piss poor performance'. So what now? He couldn't just go 'oh, by the way, Kai's not dead' because it was up to Kai to reveal that. Perhaps he could call 'Mikhail' over? But then that would be like dragging Kai over and he knew this was hard on Kai as it was. "Sorry," Ray apologised, looking up at Tyson again as he realised he'd just pretty much spaced out on him and Kenny. Maybe they'd chalk it down to grief.

Tyson frowned. "What's going on? You wouldn't just show up here out of the blue, Ray."

Ray was stumped for what to do. "Is this a bad time?" he asked to try and buy some time for Kai to compose himself and come out of hiding.

Tyson opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when his pocket suddenly lit up, "What the-?" Reaching into his pocket, Tyson gasped. Dranzer was glowing brightly in Tyson's hand, sending out warm pulses of energy. He almost seemed...happy. Sensing his beloved Phoenix, Kai chose to appear. Tyson's eyes almost popped out their sockets when he saw his former captain and a thick silence hung in the air. "... Kai..." he whispered at last.

Ray glanced back over his shoulder once again and a small sigh of relief escaped him that Kai had made a move. Ray had almost, ALMOST, been afraid that Kai was going to ditch. That was completely ridiculous because Kai wasn't the type to back down. Ray decided he'd probably just become a bit paranoid with the delay in order for such a ridiculous notion to even cross his mind.

Tyson swallowed a lump in his throat. "I can't believe... After all this time, you..." His eyes turned angry as something snapped, "You fucking BASTARD!" Passing Ray, Tyson flew at Kai and tackled the Russian to the ground, attacking him with a barrage of punches, "How could you do that to us? Do you have any idea how many people you've hurt?"

Blood splashed across the slabs from Kai's nose and mouth as Tyson continued to beat lumps out of him, tears now streaming down the world Champ's face. And yet, despite this, Kai didn't fight back.

"Tyson, he has his reasons," Ray commented, catching one of Tyson's arms and pulling him back to try and spare Kai, "And trust me when I tell you they're good reasons. I know how you feel; I hit him for it too. I'm not particularly proud of myself for losing control like that, but it happened. Tyson, it was to protect us."

"What?" Tyson gasped, staring at Ray while Kai wiped a hand across his face, smearing the blood everywhere.

"Things got a whole lot worse than we'd ever seen and it was all Kai could do to make Voltaire lose interest in coming after us," Ray told the world champ. "Voltaire knew we mattered to Kai. He knew that hurting us would tear Kai apart. He'd already proven that he knew that. Kai can't forgive himself for the crap we've already faced involving Voltaire. Anything more would be too much. Faking his death was all he could do. Voltaire had turned to using demons to a much greater extent than before. I can assure you the results weren't pretty. Kai hurt us all, quite badly, yes. But he did it to keep us alive and uninjured."

Tyson looked back at Kai, feeling slightly guilty for his now bloody appearance. "Is it true?"

Kai decided not to nod, because his head hurt too much. "Every word," he croaked, coughing slightly on his own blood.

"Kenny, could you get a damp cloth please?" Ray asked. They'd need one for Kai for one thing and Kenny never had liked the sight of blood for another. Kenny, who had been standing frozen with his mouth hanging open in disbelief, nodded slightly and disappeared back inside. He returned a few minutes later with a cloth and small bowl of water.

When he and Kai had arrived, Ray had noticed the sound of logs being cut but had dismissed it because it wasn't a noise he was looking for. It had stopped now but Ray continued to pay it little mind because he had a job to do. Ray helped Kai up in order to move him to a more comfortable area then thanked Kenny and took the cloth, wetting it before starting to clean Kai up. "Well, at least you're still conscious," he commented wryly, trying to point out the bright side of the whole mess. "Gary knocked him out," Ray informed Tyson.

"Yeah, but I didn't feel the pain then," Kai pointed out, holding his nose to try and stop the bleeding.

"You must have felt it after though. When you woke up the next day," Ray replied. "I mean, I know you had a lot of other injuries before the four of us started on you, but still."

"I'd blocked the pain out," Kai offered as an explanation. "The only useful part of my Biovolt training."

"You went through a fucking wall! You're telling me you blocked the pain of that?" Ray asked in shocked disbelief. "Actually blocked it? Not just suffering in silence?"

"It requires a lot of concentration," Kai offered with a shrug.

Ray finished up, rinsed the cloth one last time and wrung it out before offering it to Kai to hold over his nose. He then turned to face Tyson and Kenny fully, "A few questions. Question one; is it likely for Hilary to turn up here? Question two; is Max in the country right now or is he with his mom in America? And question three; was that Daichi who I could hear chopping logs?" A much quicker way to ask would be 'where is everyone else' but by asking about each individual Ray could be sure they didn't leave anyone out whether it was intentional or not.

Tyson swallowed. "Uh, Hilary might come over later, but I dunno. Max is here just now, but at home with his dad. And yeah, that was Daichi." Tyson was still clearly in shock.

"Sit down until it wears off, Tyson," Ray advised him. "When I found out, I thought I was gonna faint actually, but then Kai made a comment and, well," Ray shrugged, "I just snapped really. No other way to describe it." Tyson nodded and sat down heavily. He and Kai then stared at each other for several long moments. It was almost as if they were having a conversation through eye contact alone. Tyson was angry and Kai was apologetic. Ray looked between the pair quietly. "So how have you guys been?" Ray asked trying to lighten the atmosphere. "Besides the obvious," he added.

Tyson took a breath and finally looked away from Kai. "We've been getting on as best we can. But it hasn't been easy. How long have you known that he's actually alive, Ray?"

"Um, about a week," Ray answered.

Tyson made a quiet noise of acknowledgement and fished Dranzer out his pocket. "Here," he said to Kai. "This belongs to you."

Kai caught Dranzer immediately when Tyson threw him to him, feeling an instant wave of relief at having his bit beast back again. He glanced up at Tyson. "Thanks..."

Ray moved to sit down next to Kai and within a few moments, Daichi came out to join them. "Hey, what's going on?" the young blader asked as he arrived before yelling in shock when he finally took in the actual scene before him.

Kai ignored him. As a beyblader, he had a good deal of respect for Daichi. The little guy sure had surprised a lot of people in the world championships. But at the same time, he was still just a kid and his explosive, childish antics had been known to annoy Kai from time to time. So for now, Kai decided to let someone else answer his question. He had other things on his mind anyway. Like Hilary.

Having told Kai that he would help any way he could, Ray figured that it would fall to him to explain things to Daichi. And so he asked the boy to sit down quietly so that he could tell him all about it. By the time Ray had gotten through it, having had several interruptions from the younger blader, a husky with chocolate brown markings and mismatched eyes padded into the dojo grounds. "Uh oh," Ray murmured. "Well, Kai, I hope you're ready."

Kai tensed up immediately and actually considered running. But he knew he would have to face this sooner or later and so stood his ground. _I might actually die this time._

Ray clapped a hand on Kai's shoulder. "I'll have your back as best I can," he told Kai quietly.

"Hey guys," Hilary's voice called as she grew closer. "I'm back. I hope you haven't broken any more beyblades, Ty-" she stopped abruptly when she came into view and saw the group.

A cool breeze brushed past, blowing Hilary's hair over her shoulders and causing it to whip around here face. Despite this, her eyes remained wide and unblinking. She had to be seeing things, surely. This was all some horrible dream, where she thought he was back and he really wasn't. Kai was dead. They all knew that. So how could he be there now, right in front of her?

"Kai..." Hilary breathed. "You're... Are you real?" Her voice was a tiny whisper, as if she was afraid that being any louder would shattered this illusion and the Russian would disappear again.

Kai ignored the way his heart was pounding and made a cautious step towards her. "Hey..." he greeted quietly, having no idea what kind of reaction he should expect from her. "I am here, Hilary. Honestly."

The girl had started shaking by this point, tremors running up and down her arms. She worried her bottom lip and raised a trembling hand towards his face. Touching his smooth, but bruised skin made her fingers tingle and she gasped sharply.

Not knowing what else to do, Kai placed one of his hands over hers on his face, holding it there and allowed the warmth to sink into him. He cleared his throat carefully. "I've missed you," he whispered.

His image became blurry as Hilary's eyes filled with tears. A mixture of happiness, relief and anger. Kai cracked a timid smile, wanting to comfort her. Unfortunately for him, it was wiped from his face the moment he felt a hot sting on his cheek, followed seconds later by a crippling pain right where it hurt.

Hilary lowered her knee and stepped back, wild with anger. She watched as the great Kai Hiwatari, who was famous for his ability to conceal his emotions and hide any pain was reduced to a pathetic, groaning, crumpled heap on the floor. Ray slapped a hand over his open mouth with what seemed to be a sympathetic yelp, Tyson shielded his own manhood at just the thought of it, Kenny winced and looked away while Daichi started yelling about how crazy Hilary was.

Hilary fixed them all with a warning glare, then sighed and dropped down onto her knees in front of Kai. A moment passed before she spoke, her eyes trained on the ground between them. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

Kai bit back another groan and nodded, "Mmhm."

"No more lies," Hilary told him. "I can't take any more." Scooting closer, she reached out and grasped Kai's bangs, pulling his head up so she could look at him properly. The second they made eye contact, her tears reappeared. "I thought I'd lost you. You stupid idiot! Why couldn't you just tell me?"

Kai took a breath, glad to feel the pain dulling down now. "Believe me... I wanted to. But it was too much of a risk."

"A risk?" Hilary asked incredulously. "Kai, we're supposed to be together! That doesn't mean keeping secrets from one another."

"You don't know what it's like-"

"Because you won't tell me!" Hilary's voice drowned him out. "You stupid, stupid... Ah!" She slapped him again, this time twice as hard.

"Hilary, it really was a risk," Ray spoke up. "Voltaire wouldn't come after us if he thought Kai was dead and if we knew the truth it wouldn't convince him. It was to protect us. And Kai's missed us all throughout the whole thing, we've had each other but he's been alone."

"That's not really all that unusual for Kai, if you think about it," Daichi spoke up with a shrug. "He's used to being alone."

Ray turned his head to look at the younger blader. "I don't think you quite understand," he commented. "It's not the same thing."

"Don't feel sorry for me," Kai said quietly. "I don't deserve it. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I still hurt you guys. So I have to live with that now."

Hilary's anger dissipated and her eyes turned sad, but affectionate. "Oh, you," she mumbled, leaning forward to hug Kai. "We're just glad you're okay." She gripped the back of his black jacket tightly. "That you're alive."

Kai rested his chin on her shoulder and returned the hug. "It's good to be back."

"I've got an idea," Ray commented. "I think it would be good for you two to have a little time alone. So how about this, you two wait here and we'll go get Max." Hilary looked over at Ray and smiled gratefully. "Okay, Tyson, Daichi, Kenny, come on," Ray urged the others, herding them away from the couple and the dojo.

000

Once they were far enough away Ray slowed the pace to allow Kai and Hilary more time together without interruptions. Tyson shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked along. "I overdid it a bit, didn't I?"

"A bit, yeah," Ray agreed quietly. Tyson kicked a small stone and grumbled an apology.

"So what now, Ray?" Daichi asked. "If Kai's back, doesn't he need to tell everyone? How's he gonna do that?"

"We haven't discussed that yet," Ray replied. "We only found out about Voltaire's death yesterday."

Tyson lifted his head, "Of course. I forgot that now Kai's back, Voltaire's company is his." He couldn't help but grin. "We should make him take us all out for dinner as an apology. He owes us and he can afford it."

Ray shook his head a little, caught between disapproval and amusement. He decided to pull Tyson's leg, due to the fact that he already knew what Tyson was like. "And just what exactly is wrong with my cooking?" he asked, pretending that the suggestion had offended him.

Tyson laughed and clapped Ray on the back. "Nothing, buddy and you know it. But you deserve to be treated like the rest of us. That means not having to cook for the rest of us."

"All joking aside though, I'm already over the whole Kai faked his death thing," Ray told Tyson.

Tyson's smile faded and he looked away again. "You've had longer than I have to adjust. I'm still worried this is all a dream and that I'm going to wake up soon and Kai will be gone."

"The normal response to something like that is something along the lines of either asking if you've pinched yourself, or doing it for you," Ray pointed out. "In all fairness, you guys were also aware of his disappearance longer than I was, so it's understandable you feel it more."

Tyson nodded, "Yeah. But things are looking up now. And with Voltaire gone, we're all a lot safer."

"Yeah," Ray agreed quietly. He was relieved that they didn't appear to be too annoyed at him for not telling them that Kai was alive, though he would have been able to bring up the lack of communication on their part in his defence if they had. It was easier to back Kai that way, rather than there being a huge rift between the lot of them. But there was still so much to do; Voltaire's body, Boris in prison and the company that was now Kai's, as Tyson had pointed out. But there was a side of the company that Tyson hadn't seemed to register. The fact that Kai rarely took it easy as it was. It was just another thing that would take up the majority of his time. "If I were you, I'd put the whole last six months thing aside. Chances are we're not going to see much of Kai soon. You should make use of what time we do have without wasting it on anger."

"Yeah," Tyson agreed. "I'll apologise when we go back. Hopefully he'll know we'll do whatever we can to help him out."

"Yeah," Ray murmured, remembering his argument with Kai. "Just do me a favour, don't push him too hard. He's been stressed out enough as it is. D'you know, him turning up so soon wasn't even planned. He ended up in my village because he was pursuing a demon. It was Tao who recognised him. Kai hadn't even intended to leave Russia until that demon crossed the border. He had to try to bring that thing down all the while making sure his grandfather never found out the truth. And with his grandfather trying to incite a war between humans and demons... I tried to point out he could have asked for help but he just got really annoyed. So just... I know he's hurt everyone with his decisions but it would be best not to get under his skin."

"That guy needs a holiday," Daichi commented.

"He got annoyed at you for saying that?" Tyson asked. "But you were just stating a fact."

"It's my fault. I knew Kai preferred not to have people pestering him. I should have kept my mouth shut. I mean, it was sort of an argument. Well, when I say argument... He was insisting that he did it to protect us and I tried to point out that we wanted to protect him too just as much and then he said it wasn't a competition and just got plain irritated with me and told me to go back because he wasn't going to do much talking. He was in shock anyway about the news. We only got the letter yesterday. Headed out first thing this morning, took the first available flight."

Tyson looked at the ground as they walked. "I can't even think what he must be feeling like right now. I mean, Voltaire was an evil bastard and everything. But Kai cared about him once. This can't have been the way he'd want things to end."

"I think you're thinking about this too much," Daichi said, before running off ahead as Max's house came into sight.

"To think we were once as clueless," Ray muttered to Kenny and Tyson.

The pair laughed. "I know," Kenny agreed. "It seems like only yesterday when we were running around on one of our adventures, sneaking into places and getting ourselves in trouble."

"Yeah, I miss those days," Tyson smiled, folding his arms behind his head, "Growing up sucks."

"Some of them are good to look back and laugh at, but others..." Ray trailed off and looked up to the sky. There was one instance of them sneaking somewhere that almost got him barbequed. That very incident then posed an actual problem for his home. Things like that, Ray would be happy to forget. "If it hadn't been for Kai..." he mused, not even realising it had been out loud.

"In which instant, Ray- AHH!" Kenny jumped behind his two taller friends as a large shadow passed over them, bringing with it a gust of wind that ripped leaves off the nearby trees and almost blew the boys off their feet.

A large brown dragon shot past overhead, snarling loudly as it headed towards the heart of the city. Seconds later the sound of car tyres screeching to a halt and people shouting filled the air as the dragon alighted onto the roof of a multi-story car park.

"Holy shit! What's going on?" Tyson shouted, as Max and Daichi rushed out of Max's house up ahead, also staring in the direction the dragon had gone.

Ray had been brought out of his reverie, staring at the large shape that passed overhead and had watched it. He turned to Tyson and grinned, "You up for checking it out; like the good old days?"

"Oh god, yes!" Tyson replied eagerly.

That was all the motivation needed for the group to head in the direction the dragon had gone in. "You realise this could be dangerous?" Ray commented to the others as they ran.

"When has that ever stopped us before?" Max asked as he and Daichi joined the others. "And what are you doing here, Ray?"

"Moral support," Ray answered, laughing. In all fairness, it was the truth. Max just didn't know who for yet. Unless Daichi had mentioned it on the way and he hadn't been paying attention.

"Do any of you actually have a plan?" Kenny yelled from the back of the group. "Or are we just rushing blindly into yet another dangerous situation with no plan at all?"

"Rushing blindly of course," Tyson answered. "When do we ever make plans?"

"I was hoping you might all have learned to by now!" Kenny retorted. "What can we possibly hope to do?"

000

Getting further into the city, the streets got busier. People were panicking and rushing away from the car park where the dragon was trumpeting and ripping at the concrete with its claws. It seemed to be agitated by something, but there was no apparent reason.

"I'll tell you what we can do," Ray commented to Kenny as he surveyed the scene, "We can direct the people to safety so they don't get hurt."

"We'll need to check the car park then," Daichi suggested. "There could be people trapped. That dragon is making a mess."

"Yeah, but be careful. Getting trapped ourselves or bringing the whole thing down is the opposite of help," Ray responded before looking at Kenny, "Chief, you stay out here and make sure anyone leaving gets to safety. Also, if the dragon looks like it might be about to do something that would endanger us, holler. Okay?"

Kenny nodded, "Got it. Dizzi and I can hack into the city's CCTV system and watch for anything."

Ray nodded and looked to the others. "Okay guys, remember; be careful. I think it would be best if we worked in pairs, one to search and one to keep look out whilst still allowing us to cover more ground. Any objections?"

"What about calling for back up?" Tyson asked, looking pointedly at Ray.

Ray looked at Tyson and nodded acceptingly. "Kenny, could you also make a quick call while you're at it?" he asked. "Hilary should have her phone, right?" Obviously while they thought Kai was dead they had lost contact with him, but if he was with Hilary then it stood to reason that contacting her would have the same result. "Mention we wouldn't ask, but it is kind of an emergency and we're very sorry for the interruption."

Tyson nodded and grabbed his phone. "I think they'll make an exception," he said and made the call, while Max looked on, confused. Why call Hilary?

Ray looked at Max. He was sorry for his friend's cluelessness so he decided to drop some form of hint. Maybe if Max wasn't as surprised he might take the news better when he saw for himself. "Have you not noticed, Maxie?"

Max blinked. "Noticed what? Apart from the obvious fact that there's a dragon on the roof of a parking lot."

"Try looking at Tyson's eyes then. Notice anything different?"

Frowning slightly, Max did so. He watched Tyson for a moment as the other boy spoke on the phone, presumably with Hilary. His eyes seemed...brighter... More like the old Tyson. Max had almost forgotten what that was like. The life in Tyson's eyes had faded when they'd heard of Kai's death and stayed that way ever since. But now- Max's own eyes widened in shock. It couldn't be. He looked back at Ray. "Are you serious?" he asked in barely more than a whisper. "Kai's really..."

Ray grinned and nodded. "He had to hide from Voltaire to protect us. It was the only way to keep us safe. He is sorry that keeping us alive and unharmed has hurt us emotionally and he has been hit quite a lot over the matter. So please go easy on him."

"Uh, okay," Max replied, not really knowing what else to say.

"Alright, they're on their way," Tyson reported, shoving his phone back in his pocket. "Hilary seemed really annoyed with me at first, but once I explained everything she calmed down. They'll be here in a few minutes." A chopper flew overhead, with a cameraman hanging out the side, filming the dragon.

"Hey Chief, when they get here, let them know what we're doing. Tyson and Daichi, you take that side," Ray instructed. "Max, you come with me. Everyone remember to stay alert. If it looks too risky, get out. Are we clear?"

The others nodded and Kenny quickly handed out new battle analysers. "We'll communicate through these. They have camera too so clip them to your shirts. That way I can see what you're all doing and know if you get into trouble."

Thanking Kenny, Ray did as instructed and headed in with Max, knowing Tyson and Daichi were doing the same at the other end. He also knew that Kai was on his way which was a comfort.

"And the plan?" Max asked as they started making their way up through the levels of the car park. Some people were still rushing out, abandoning their cars as dust and flakes of concrete fell from the ceiling. Above, the dragon could still be heard growling and pounding at the concrete.

"Make sure nobody's trapped, help them if they are. Once all levels are clear we pull out again. We're not going to take any unnecessary risks. That's the last thing Kai needs on top of everything else. And we're not going confront the dragon. That's a bit out of our depth. I don't need to remind you the strain our bit beasts take to become physical and I'm not sure that's the way to go in this case. We'll decide what to do about that when Kai gets here. We don't want to provoke it. I don't think it's actually after anyone. I mean it's making a lot of noise up there but it doesn't appear to be attacking."

There was a small, but sudden explosion up on the roof and all of the lights went out. "It's taken out the power," Kenny's voice spoke from the analyser. "Be careful guys. There are only a few people left in there, but the dragon has just fallen through the top floor."

"Fallen through?" Ray asked, surprised and wondering what had caused all this in the first place. The lights going out were no issue to Ray but he kept his senses alert. He had to watch out for Max too after all.

"It smashed up the concrete too much," Kenny reported. "Be careful." The whole building then started to shake.

"What now?" Max asked, "An earthquake?"

"It's only a mild one but it's enough to weaken the structure," Kenny told them. "Get out now!"

A child's screaming cut through the air, coming from the floor below.

Ray and Max looked at each other before heading down quickly to locate the child. "We've got one thing to do and then we'll head out," Ray told Kenny.

"Guys!" Kenny complained, clearly starting to panic.

On the lower floor a red people carrier had been partly crushed by a collapsed pillar. Two children were stuck in the back, locked inside and screaming for their parents. Kai had arrived just before Max and Ray and was checking for a way to get the kids out.

"Kai, you're here," Ray greeted as he and Max joined the older teen. He looked the vehicle over and frowned. "Any plans?"

Kai checked the back of the people carrier, looking for a way in that was safe. "Well, I was considering taking Hilary out for dinner," he began, and picked up a small piece of concrete. "But then I hear there's a dragon here, so I had to reschedule it." He gave Ray a small smirk before looking back at the vehicle. "The locks have been triggered. We'll need to rip the back windscreen out." He smashed the concrete against the corner of the windscreen, creating a small hole which he then used to start ripping it out in one piece. "Give me a hand with this." Ray snickered at the comment and nodded to Kai, moving to help immediately. It was a bit of a struggle, but the windscreen soon came off, as Max spoke to the children and tried to calm them down. Kai then climbed in through the back and carefully picked up the first kid, a young girl. The car park shook again and she screamed as more debris started to fall and clang off the roof of the car. "We need to move fast," Kai said as the dragon bellowed above them. Ray moved close enough so Kai could pass the child to him, ready to hand her to Max so he could take the second from Kai. Kai worked quickly to get the boy out and carefully handed him down to Ray. "Now get out of here. Find their parents and make sure nobody else comes inside." Kai jumped out of the car and headed towards the ramp to go up.

"Okay," Ray agreed. "And Kai, be careful."

Kai nodded and ran off, leaving Max and Ray to get the kids out. "Will he be alright alone?" Max asked as they hurried away.

"He'll be better off if he doesn't have anyone else to worry about," Ray answered.

"But then who will worry about him?" Max asked. "What if something happens up there?"

"You know what Kai's like. If there's someone else in any trouble he won't worry about himself and he's more likely to get hurt. We just have to trust him."

Max nodded reluctantly and they got out. The area surrounding the car park had been cordoned off by police who were working to hold people back. The parents of the two kids the boys had just saved were among them and there was a round of applause as they were reunited. Two helicopters were now circling the building, filming the whole thing.

000

Up on the roof, Kai found the dragon, snarling and waving its head back and forth. He approached it slowly, noticing that there was something dangling from around its neck. It looked to be a long piece of wire, which was digging in under the dragon's scales and no doubt causing it a lot of pain. "So that's what's wrong with you," Kai mused as the beast turned its large red eyes on him. Kai raised his hands. "Easy does it. I just want to help."

The dragon snarled but remained fairly still, allowing Kai to come closer. The Russian was almost there, about to reach for the tangled wire when a helicopter flew over them far too close. The dragon panicked, reared up and spun round. Its heavy tail collided with Kai, sending him flying back across the roof and rolling through the debris. Grunting, Kai reached out desperately and managed to grab a hold of the edge of the building and hang on, having been knocked through a hole in the wall. He dangled there helplessly for a moment, five storeys up, as the dragon took a swipe at the helicopter.

Unbeknownst to Kai, everything that was going on was being shown live on the various big screens throughout the city, as the new reporters tried to cover the story as it unfolded. But really, they were just making things worse.

000

Ray swore and glanced around. "Kenny try to think of a way to get the press to back off, they're making things worse," he instructed before dashing off, ducking around the others to get past them and not answering when they called after him. Seeing the direction he was heading in the police tried to stop him but Ray ignored them and leapt nimbly up onto the roof of one of their cars, out of their reach and down the other side to head in, not letting anyone stop him from reaching his friend. As soon as he entered the structure he knew they had given up and wouldn't follow him further and now he just had to reach Kai as soon as possible.

000

On the roof, Kai managed to haul himself back up over the edge, but had to roll out of the way quickly as the dragon slammed its tail again, almost crushing him. Catching his breath, Kai lunged for the tail and was immediately thrown into the air. He landed this time on the dragon's muscled back and tried to reach for its neck. The dragon screamed and unfolded its wings. "No you don't!" Kai shouted, grabbing one of the wings and weighing it down. "You're staying here until I get that wire off you!"

Growling, the dragon snapped at Kai, forcing him to have to let go again. Landing on his back, Kai coughed then yelled as the dragon pinned him to the ground with one huge clawed paw. Grabbing at it, Kai stared up into burning red eyes. There was a wild anger in them but also fear and confusion.

"You have to...let me help," Kai wheezed, winded from the fall. His own eyes slowly turned red. "I can get you out of this mess. But you have to trust me." The dragon jolted its head back then trilled curiously. Kai took a breath and tried to come up with a plan while he held the beast's eye contact and attention.

Reaching the roof, Ray surveyed the scene quickly. The press were, annoyingly, still too close and Ray turned his attention to the dragon and Kai. Had the dragon wanted to, it could have done a hell of a lot more than it was doing so Ray forced himself to remain calm. He waved an arm once at the helicopter in a gesture to tell them to go away before approaching the dragon carefully and caught sight of a glint of silver. Injured animals in a panic were always dangerous but it wasn't their fault. This was hardly any different. Ray began a cautious approach.

Kai saw Ray in his peripheral vision and let out a sigh of relief. "I've got his attention," he said quietly, still looking at the dragon. "You'll need to get my knife and cut through that wire on his neck. It's strapped round my right ankle."

Ray nodded, making sure to keep quiet even to his own hearing and moved to retrieve the knife. He did his best not to make any sudden moves, knowing that doing so would attract the dragon's attention. The wire itself would be a different matter as there was no way he could do that without the dragon noticing. But until then he'd have to remain unnoticed. Once he had the knife, Ray moved to the dragon's neck. There was no room for error in this. If he messed up one or both of them could be seriously hurt or worse. Keeping an eye on the dragon's movements, Ray carefully slipped the blade under the wire, doing his best not to hurt the dragon any further than it had been. The dragon was fully aware of him now, he knew that. He gripped the wire with his free hand and a sharp tug severed the line.

"Is that it clear?" Kai asked quietly. Ray swept his gaze over quickly to be sure and nodded his head, moving back again cautiously. Kai let go of the dragon's paw, "Alright then. You're free. Now get up into the cloud cover and disappear. You don't belong here." The dragon grumbled quietly, watching as the red from Kai's eyes faded. It then looked around at the helicopters and took to the air. Kai breathed out heavily as he watched it bank to the left, roar once and then vanish. They'd done it. Ray breathed out a sigh and offered a hand to Kai. Kai took it and allowed Ray to help him to his feet. Once he was up, a small smirk appeared on his face, which quickly grew into an amused smile as he tried not to laugh.

Ray grinned and held out the knife for Kai. "Kenny said earlier that the earthquake was enough to weaken the structure, we might want to head back down," Ray commented.

"Yeah, might be an idea," Kai agreed, taking back his knife as the building shook yet again, "After you." Ray nodded and started down again. The boys moved quickly and there was another round of applause as they emerged from the building. Several police officers met them and escorted them over to a nearby ambulance to get checked over while a couple of TV crews tried to get a good shot of Kai. The Russian smiled as he was made to sit down in the back of the ambulance with Ray. "Guess the cat's really outta the bag now, huh?" he asked, as a shock blanket was draped round his shoulders.

"Yeah, but it was gonna happen at some point anyway," Ray responded. "At least this way you don't have to arrange it. So that's one more thing off of the to-do list."

"I suppose," Kai shrugged. The blanket slid off, but was quickly put back by a paramedic. Kai frowned a little.

"I wonder if it'll annoy Daichi that you're the centre of attention right now, or if that aggravation is reserved for Tyson only. You know, I think he fakes most of it," Ray commented amusedly.

"Quite possibly," Kai replied with a smirk. When the ambulance crew were finished checking them over, Kai moved away from the ambulance. "I'd better get this stuff with the press out of the way now. You guys don't have to stay."

"I'll wait for you," Ray told Kai.

"It could take hours."

Ray shrugged, "I don't mind."

"If you say so," Kai shrugged and then headed over to the crowd of cameras and reporters.

000

Just as Kai had predicted, it did take a long time to deal with the press. Three hours passed with all of the different news stations wanting to get every detail of his story, as well as his thoughts on Voltaire's death. Eventually, once Kai had had enough, the police helped him escape from the crowd and he trudged back, exhausted, to where Ray was waiting. "How are you holding up?" Ray asked the older teen.

"I'm alright," Kai told him, not sounding very convincing. "There's still a lot I need to do. I'll have to arrange to view the body and then focus on the company."

Ray nodded understandingly, "We spoke of that earlier, Tyson and I. You know I'll do whatever I can to help you. That's why I'm here." Ray seemed to take some pride in that statement before he continued, "Tyson says the same thing. That if there's anything he can do, he will. He wants you to know that."

Kai nodded with a small smile, "Yeah. I do." Sighing, he raked a hand through his hair. "I don't even know what time it is. Just that it's late. Sorry I took so long."

"Don't worry about it. I know how annoyingly stubborn they are about getting their scoop. As for the time, I have no clue myself. Well this has been a long, eventful day."

"Tell me about it... And there's still so much to do."

"Worry about that tomorrow," Ray advised him, pausing to look ahead as Tyson approached them. The other teen had headed home with the others hours ago so Ray was surprised to see him.

"Hey, um, I've set up futons for you guys in the dojo," Tyson informed them. It was still hard for him to grasp that Kai was really there. "Just thought I'd come check on you since you were taking so long."

"Thanks, Tyson," Kai said gratefully. "We're coming back now."

"No problem, great," Tyson responded. "I also took your things inside. I hope you don't mind. Gramps reckons it's gonna rain. Hilary wanted to wait for you, Kai, but her parents wanted her home. I think I should warn you though... Cassie's spending a lot of time lately with her boyfriend," Tyson told Kai. "He's been over for the past week and with that whole scene... you might wanna employ bodyguards."

"Bodyguards wouldn't save me," Kai said quietly.

"No, I guess he'd freeze them or something," Tyson agreed, laughing awkwardly before realising Ray was being awfully quiet and turned his head to look at the Chinese blader. Ray wasn't looking at either of them. He was staring past Tyson at something in the direction Tyson had come from. Frowning, Tyson looked back. "Oh... too late..." he realised.

Kai swallowed and forced himself to look up. Of everyone he had lied to, Tala was actually the one he feared the most. Kai had no idea how the older Russian would react, but he knew it would most likely end up with him being in pain. Nevertheless, he held his head high and cleared his throat a little. "Tala," he acknowledged.

Tala folded his arms and fixed Kai with a hard look. The temperature around the four of them dropped dramatically. "Explain," Tala demanded. The silence somehow seemed more frightening than the yelling he'd direct at Ian on occasion.

Kai sighed. "The situation with Voltaire was getting worse and I ended up needing to disappear to keep you all safe. So all this, faking my own death and going into hiding, was my solution." Kai frowned. "It's not one I'm proud of, nor was it enjoyable, so don't even start with me."

"I can understand that shit with the kids," Tala responded earning an indignant sound of complaint from Tyson and Ray, "But us? We can handle it. You know that."

"It was too much of a risk," Kai stated simply.

"Too much of a risk? You've got to be fucking kidding me! After everything we've been through, you think you have to protect us?"

"D'you think I'd want to be responsible for putting you through even more shit?" Kai demanded. "Voltaire is my grandfather and therefore my responsibility to deal with!"

For a moment Tala looked like he was going to say something else but then turned away glaring. Tyson gave Kai an enquiring look about Tala's behaviour. "I suppose it's something I should just expect from you," Tala finally announced.

"Oh, fuck off, Tala!" Kai snapped.

"I'm trying to control my temper," Tala informed Kai, almost pleasantly, "Because quite frankly you look like shit. You could have told us. We could have helped. We don't need your protection." There was a slight pause. "But I guess I should be grateful you're willing to give it. Where are you staying tonight?"

Kai looked away. "Tyson's..." he replied quietly. "And I don't look like shit."

"Okay, you resemble one of the zombies out of the movies Bryan likes to watch," Tala replied.

"Haha. Very funny," Kai deadpanned.

"It's a clear sign you need sleep," Tala pointed out.

Kai rolled his eyes. "What are you, my mother?"

Tala's eye twitched and the temperature dropped even further. He turned to face Kai, marched over and promptly punched the younger teen's arm to deaden it. "Enough!" he snarled.

"Oww!" Kai exclaimed, grabbing his arm. "Hey, what was that for?"

"You know what it was for!" Tala snapped.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to kill my arm!" Kai shouted back. "Seriously, back off!"

"Get to Tyson's and sleep or I'll kill the other one!" Tala responded.

Kai snorted. "I'd like to see you try!"

"I'll do more than try," Tala told Kai, raising his fist warningly. Ignoring the warning, Kai glared and kicked Tala in the shin before he could do anything else. He then put some distance between himself and the other Russian. Tala grabbed his shin, "You little fucker!" he snarled, lunging at Kai while Tyson and Ray exchanged worried looks wondering if they should intervene. With one dead arm, Kai failed to perform a throw. So he and Tala ended up rolling and crashing across the ground in an undignified tangle of kicking feet and swinging fists.

"We should break that up," Ray told Tyson.

"Are you mad? Tala's got that crazy look in his eyes," Tyson responded. "Get too close and you're going to get hit."

"Ah!" Kai found himself crashing to the floor again. "Knock it off! This doesn't even concern you anymore!"

"Don't give me that!" Tala snapped as he thumped Kai. "For almost seven months you let me think you were dead!"

Kai winced as he felt the skin at his eyebrow tear with the blow and a warm trickle of blood quickly ran down the side of his face. He blinked as he saw stars and the world spun. "So the first thing you do is try to kill me?" he mumbled quietly.

"I'm not trying to kill you," Tala scoffed. "It's called payback and it's a bitch!"

"Well could payback please pack it in and let me up?" Kai grumbled. "Talk about ungrateful." Tala snorted and moved away standing up and offering Kai a hand. Kai accepted the offer and climbed to his feet carefully, still a little dazed. "You know, you could have given me a chance to explain before jumping in head first and attacking me," he complained. "I've been through enough over these last few months already, Tala."

"Like I said, payback. And I did wait. I was trying really hard not to attack you but you just had to go and say it, didn't you," Tala responded.

"Well..." Kai shrugged, "Yeah. What, did you want me to say something weird like I missed you?"

Tala snorted, "As if."

Kai smirked, "Hn. Well I will say this. Now that you've stopped beating me half to death, it is good to see you."

"You too," Tala responded, starting to dust himself down.

Kai did the same, though his arm was still dead. "Shall we head back then?"

Tyson nodded, "Yeah, sounds good," he agreed.

"Are you two okay now?" Ray asked looking between the two Russians.

Kai looked at Tala for a moment, then back at Ray, "Yeah. Yeah I think so."

"Okay," Ray responded with a nod, ready to head back to Tyson's and get some sleep.

"Let's go then," Kai said tiredly and started off back towards the dojo. He couldn't wait to sleep either. Tyson and Ray wordlessly fell into step behind Kai and Tala followed after them to make sure they all got back alright.

000

The next two weeks were nothing but hectic for Kai. After his surprise return from the dead he'd had to make a public appearance and do several interviews. Footage of what had happened with the dragon at the car park had become an Internet hit, while Kai's story made headlines and front pages on newspapers the world over. The Russian seemed to take it all in his stride, but only the ones closest to him knew just how much of a strain it was.

On top of that, Kai had to go through organising Voltaire's funeral. Very few people attended and Kai had the body cremated, to make extra sure that his grandfather was gone forever. Then there was the company to deal with. Until further notice, Kai had taken on the title of CEO. Being the only heir he didn't have much choice in the matter as his pride wouldn't allow the company to be bought out by some other greedy businessman. He had better plans for it.

The gang saw less and less of him as time went on and the glint in his eyes lessened slightly every day.

Ray did what he could to help Kai, from watching over the others to even helping out with small tasks within the older teen's company. As such, he was more aware of Kai's location than the others when the Russian was late to return at the end of the day. Bothered about Kai's habit of not eating or getting enough sleep and of staying in the office so long, Ray decided to confront his friend about it.

Ray made sure the others were okay, they were gathered together speaking about how much they missed the good old days and about how much they were missing their friend, then he headed out to go see Kai. He was quite familiar with the route, having done this before. Ray was almost certain that Kai would sleep in the office each night if he wasn't reminded to call it a day. It was good to see the others and reassuring that they were doing better now that they were getting over their grief, but Ray was growing increasingly worried about Kai.

Walking along a deserted street, Ray was disturbed from his musings as his senses picked up the presence of a demon and, just as he registered it, Ray was suddenly attacked from behind. Not even turning to see who it was Ray dodged first, glad that his reflexes had improved along with his senses. Once he'd avoided the first strike, Ray then focussed on his attacker and was surprised at the figure before him; a gargoyle demon. One of the ones who had attacked him in the village before Kai chased them off. "What do you want?" Ray asked, surprised by their presence and also somewhat annoyed. He had somewhere to be. He didn't have time for this.

"I'm here to finish the job now that you don't have anyone to hide behind," the gargoyle demon responded. "The Phoenix is dead and I don't fear the council. That makes you fair game to kill."

"I know you think little of the human race, but you gotta get with the times, man," Ray scoffed. "Kai's not dead."

"I don't believe you," the gargoyle snarled, "And even if he was alive, he's not here."

"Either way, you'll regret it if you don't turn around and crawl back into whatever hole you came from," Ray responded.

Angered by this, the gargoyle wasted no time in attacking once more but Ray dodged him again, this time delivering a kick as the gargoyle passed him. "You're not the same as you were back in that village," he observed as he picked himself up and faced Ray again.

"No, I'm not," Ray agreed, "I'm stronger and faster."

"You're still a dirty half-breed," the demon snarled before lunging again, more quickly, and managing to knock Ray over.

Ray got back up and smirked, "And that's why I'm gonna beat you," he told the gargoyle, looking at him. "I was more human than demon last time." The demon lunged again, but Ray had expected it and timed his jump to land on the demon's shoulder, before purposefully putting his weight against the wings as he went down the other side. The gargoyle snarled and tumbled over in pain. Both combatants got to their feet and turned to face each other. "I could have torn them if I chose to," Ray informed him, "Now get out of here before I change my mind."

The gargoyle bared his teeth and growled, but Ray was unmoved by his attempt at intimidation. He glanced around momentarily and caught sight of a discarded newspaper. The headline on the front page was as clear as day. Ray hadn't been bluffing. Kai was alive. On top of that, this half-cast could put up a fight. His pride bruised, the gargoyle stumbled down an alley, withdrawing from the human's world.

Once Ray was sure the demon was gone he released a heavy sigh, calming himself, and began to dust himself down before heading to Kai's office. He'd actually been a lot more concerned than he'd let on and was pleased with himself for how he'd handled the situation. Nobody seemed to have noticed the incident. Technically it was nice and quiet.


	5. Chapter 4

**MITT. CHAN** - You mentioned something about Tyson and others having greater participation in struggles.

Wrong.

Reason 1: I refer you back to Cold Competition and the comment Lee made about Demon strength.

_"For example, I wasn't kidding earlier when I told Ray that the Gargoyle would have torn out his throat if he'd saved it. They really would have. And it would have been as easy for them as it would be for you to snap a bird's neck"_

So NO, they can't fight demons. In the attack on the White Tigers' village it took Gary, Lee, Kevin, Mariah AND Kathleen to take down ONE Gargoyle and they're about the same size as a human.

Reason 2: Tyson may be the main character of the anime, but if you look at the characters listed on this fic you will find that the focus is on Ray and Kai. If you are looking for a Tyson-centred story then you are in the wrong place.

Reason 3: By having Kai and Ray working together like this we are actually setting up a crucial plot point for later on.

**ATTENTION ANONYMOUS REVIEWERS!**

******If you're not signed in, please don't ask questions in your reviews because we can't answer them unless you're signed in.**

**ALSO, IN REGARDS TO SLOW UPDATES:**

**Dragon already said there would be delays. **

**Here's the situation**:

This story is written by Dragon AND Phoenix.

There are TWO authors. Not one.

Dragon is the one who PROOF-READS the chapters and UPLOADS them and answers reviews. But the mainstream story is written by BOTH Dragon and Phoenix.

That means BOTH Dragon AND Phoenix need to be available to write the story.

**Phoenix is currently unavailable to write**.

**MEANING THERE IS LITTLE TO NO WRITING BEING DONE RIGHT NOW.**

Guest Reviews (AKA Anonymous reviews) are now being moderated because of this since it's making Dragon angry when people ignore author notes.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Four

Kai dragged his eyes open slowly when he sensed Ray approaching but he didn't bother to lift his head from where it was rested in his folded arms atop the desk. Files and paperwork were all over the place and Kai could hardly stand to look at it anymore. This office life didn't suit him. Just the thought of it sapped him of his strength. Maybe he should see about entering into another industry, one where there was more outdoor work.

Hearing Ray's footsteps not far from his office door, Kai swung an arm out and haphazardly swiped the near-untouched sandwich packet into his bin. Ray had brought him food earlier, but Kai had only taken a nibble before deciding he was too busy to waste time eating. The coffee machine that he'd insisted on having had been put to good use though, but unfortunately he'd become immune to the energetic buzz it used to give him before. Either that or Kai was just too overly tired to feel it now.

Sighing heavily, he buried his face in his arms again and waited for Ray. Ray tapped on the door to Kai's office, rolling his eyes a little at the fact that the employees had all gone home. Why couldn't Kai call it a day at the same time, or at least a little closer to the same time instead of staying so late? It couldn't be healthy for him.

"It's open," a muffled voice called from inside.

"You're not planning to sleep here, are you?" Ray asked as he opened the door and stepped inside.

"Not planning to..." Kai mumbled. "But it could still happen..."

"Come on, Kai, call it a day," Ray advised him.

Kai moved just enough to allow one eye to peer across the office at Ray. It shut again after a moment. "You missed a bit of dirt on your shoulder."

"What dirt?" Ray asked checking both shoulders, "Oh, how'd that get there?" he murmured before dusting his shoulder, trying to act like nothing had happened. Kai didn't need any more to worry about. Although Ray was puzzled by the use of the word 'missed' which implied that Kai knew he'd had to brush dirt off of himself already. But how could he have known? And the distance surely required him to know what he was looking for too. But again, Ray didn't want Kai worrying.

"Oh, probably came off that gargoyle you met on the way here," Kai replied simply. He lifted his head and gave Ray a pointed look.

Ray froze and for a moment was caught between playing dumb and demanding how the hell Kai knew. He swiftly realised the delay had already betrayed him so he went with option two. "H-how did you find out about that?"

"Through observation," Kai replied, leaning back in his chair, "In more than one meaning."

"I don't follow," Ray responded. "You knew it was a gargoyle, specifically. Not many people would know that, certainly not your employees. So I know you're saying you saw him. But I don't see how."

Kai sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I haven't been entirely honest with you, Ray," he admitted. "There's still something you don't know about."

"Okay, it's to with how you know about my meeting with that gargoyle, right?" Ray prompted him.

Kai nodded. He was trying to think of a good way of explaining it, but in the end his sleep deprived brain just couldn't handle that kind of thought process. "I have access to your senses through our demon connection," he stated simply instead.

Ray stared at Kai for several moments as it sunk in. "Shit, seriously?"

"Mmhm," Kai nodded.

"So, you can see what I see, hear what I hear? When? Do you control it?"

"I can sense when you're approached by another demon," Kai explained. "When I do, if I'm worried, I'll take a look through your eyes. But other than that, I respect your privacy entirely and don't abuse this connection."

"Since when did you have that ability?" Ray asked, feeling fairly floored by the news. He'd never heard of such a connection before so it was completely new even to him, someone who'd grown up knowing about demons and their powers.

"Since not long after I found out about the connection. It's not something I use very often though, so even I don't know much about it."

"And you were worried about me? I wasn't going to tell you. You've got enough on your plate without worrying about me."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I'm fine."

"Fine? Kai, you spend most of your day in this office," Ray began as he approached the desk. "You don't leave to eat, which is why I keep bringing you food, which I've done that enough times to actually know several members of your staff on a first name basis, you hardly sleep. It can't be good for your health. In fact, adding holic to a word, for example workaholic, which is you, it usually refers to having a problem. If I spent half the time you do in this office, I would suffocate..." Ray trailed off noticing the contents of Kai's bin when he glanced down. "Well, looks like I'm not the only one who's busted today."

Kai rolled his eyes and stood up, moving over to a filing cabinet to place some papers in it. "Whatever, Ray. I have a lot of work to do before tomorrow, so I need to get on with it. And you should stop worrying so much."

"You do know stress can make you sick, right?"

"I said I'm fine, Ray."

"Anxiety attacks, mood swings, psychological distress, depression, **sleep problems**, **eating disorders**, ulcers, poor resistance against diseases, chronic pains, colds, flus, viruses, headaches, migraines, heart disease, chronic fatigue," Ray listed off emphasising the ones he knew for a fact Kai already suffered from.

The filing cabinet boomed as the drawer was slammed shut. "I KNOW, ALRIGHT?" Kai shouted, spinning back round to face Ray. "I get the point! I don't need you to list off every single thing you can think of. Besides, I'm WAY past the stressed stage now. I thought things would get better once my bastard grandfather was dead and gone, but they haven't. If anything, they're worse! When I went to view the body, I thought I would feel some kind of peace. I was going to tell him that I had moved on and he was just a distant memory now. But when I got there, I couldn't say anything! There was no peace. I resented EVERY step that I took to get to his coffin! And he is still here, haunting me every single night when I close my eyes and every time I walk into this fucking office!"

"Take a day off or something, there's gotta be someone who can handle the job for you," Ray responded calmly, not letting the outburst get to him. He sighed and looked down briefly before facing Kai again. "We thought we'd lost you. Did we just get you back to watch you destroy yourself?"

Kai looked away with a growl. "There is someone. But I still haven't heard anything from him yet. Not that that's surprising."

"You've called in help?" Ray asked in a relieved tone.

"I've reached out," Kai corrected, "For the last time."

"Your..." Ray began to ask but trailed off wondering if he should mention Kai's father. It wasn't that he knew everything about Kai, but this solution was aggravating his friend. So who could Kai trust with the family business who he wouldn't be fond of seeing? Kai's father was the one who came to mind. Ray knew he could be wrong and that it could be one of Kai's contacts but for some reason he was pretty sure of his guess. But did he want to wind Kai up any further? He'd had a reason before and this one just seemed weak. It wasn't worth annoying Kai again.

The Russian sighed and returned to his desk. "Anyway, I still have a few things to do tonight. I'm taking tomorrow morning off to go see someone."

"Is there anything I can help with?" Ray asked wondering if he could at least cut down Kai's workload so he'd have less to do.

Kai was about to say no, but then spotted a pile of paperwork on the edge of his desk. Ray would feel better if he was helping, even if only slightly, and Kai had the perfect job for him. "See that pile of stuff there?" he asked, pointing. "It's all old records that I don't need. Can you shred it all for me? The shredder is over there, next to that sofa."

Ray followed where Kai was indicating first before nodding, "Sure," he agreed, moving to do so. Kai thanked him and got back to what he was doing. He hated shredding paperwork, so he was glad Ray had agreed to do it. Also, the noise would stop Kai from falling asleep. Ray chose not to speak to Kai while the other was working to make sure he didn't distract him. He could only hope the situation would improve soon.

It was another hour before Kai finally finished what he was doing and dropped his head down onto the desk with a quiet thud. He felt exhausted, but at least he'd got what he'd wanted to done. "Are you ready to call it a day?" Ray asked, having already finished the shredding.

Yawning, Kai heaved himself up, "Yeah. Let's get the hell out of here, before I go crazy." Ray nodded and stood up before heading to the door to wait for Kai. Kai locked everything away in his desk and followed Ray out. "You know, you didn't have to wait for me."

"I know," Ray responded with a shrug. "But I didn't have to leave without you either."

"Hn," Kai smiled tiredly. "How are the others?"

"Besides missing you and being worried about you, they're fine," Ray answered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kai asked, rolling his eyes. "You guys should be used to me being like this by now."

"Doesn't stop us from worrying," Ray replied.

"Yeah, I know," Kai agreed with a slight shrug. His gaze remained on the floor as they walked along, hands in his pockets and shoulders loose from tiredness. He stopped walking all of a sudden. "I'm going to see Boris tomorrow," he told Ray quietly.

Ray paused and looked back at Kai, "Okay," he said calmly. "You said you needed to before we reached Japan."

"Mm," Kai replied. His hands were shaking, so he fisted them in his pockets. "I want closure, Ray. I want to start over with no shadows hanging over me from my past." He swallowed. "But...what if I end up turning into one myself? Like Boris, or even Voltaire? I've got all this pent up rage and I don't know what to do with it."

"You're better than them," Ray told Kai. "You won't be like that. Maybe you didn't find peace with your grandfather's death because you subconsciously focussed on Boris. There's a chance you'll get your peace after that. Another possibility is that it hasn't sunk in yet. But I don't think the overworking is helping any, especially since you inherited the company from your grandfather," Ray commented carefully, trying to point out that Kai was still in his grandfather's shadow to some extent, without testing Kai's already failing patience.

Kai nodded a little reluctantly. "You're right." He sighed heavily as they reached Tyson's. "I think I might sleep in tomorrow, if that's okay with you guys."

"Of course," Ray agreed. "We all know you need the rest."

Kai smirked slightly. "Do I really look that bad?" he asked in an amused tone as they stepped into Tyson's house.

"Oh no, you look much worse," Ray teased him. "In fact, Tala's taunts a fortnight ago were right on the money." Kai pulled a face and punched Ray playfully in the arm. Ray just laughed, glad to have drawn this side of Kai out and to have taken his mind off things for at least a little while. Feeling better, Kai thanked Ray again before getting changed and turning in. He fell asleep almost instantly.

Having left Kai to himself in peace, Ray joined Tyson in the kitchen. Kenny, Hilary and Max were all at home with it being so late. "Kai's finally agreed to call it a day," Ray informed Tyson. "And he's considering having a lie in in the morning."

"Good," Tyson nodded. "It's about time he took it easy. We'll need to make sure Daichi doesn't disturb him in the morning."

"Yeah," Ray agreed before sighing. "He hardly touched his lunch and he's still worrying about others more than himself."

"Typical Kai," Tyson shook his head. He tinkered with Dragoon thoughtfully. "I wonder what he went through in the six months he was missing. He was kinda vague on the details."

"He's never said any more about it than he's had to," Ray commented.

"Maybe that's part of the problem then," Tyson suggested. "He's bottling everything up to the point where he's just not saying anything to us. Maybe we should challenge him to a match. That might clear his head a bit?"

Ray smiled a little but it didn't last long as he turned thoughtful. "Not tomorrow. He has something planned. Or at least wait until after."

"Oh?" Tyson asked.

"He hasn't had closure yet, so he wants to see Boris," Ray answered. "D'you think he'd mind if I asked to tag along? The guy held a gun to my head so I wouldn't mind seeing it for myself."

The world champ stared at him, "Seriously?"

"Hm?" Ray looked at Tyson for a moment, wondering which part of his comment had shocked his friend before it clicked, "Oh, Boris, the gun, yeah. You weren't there when I told the others... I'd forgotten that. Sorry. Yeah, he was holding me hostage while Voltaire told Kai to join them with Black Dranzer. I bit him at some point during that when I was struggling. That and the look on Kai's face are pretty much what stands out the most to me about that day. He surrendered to save me and I told him I hated him. I didn't mean it... I was just... I was just being an idiot."

Tyson looked at his blade. "I hate to think what Kai might do to Boris if he does go to see him. But if you want to go, I think you should."

"You do?" Ray asked sitting up properly having been leaning on the table with his head propped up by one arm.

"Mm," Tyson nodded. "Like you said, you're looking for closure too. Plus, I think it would be good for Kai to have someone with him, even if it is just to hold him back from killing that bastard himself."

Ray grinned a little, "He'd probably have Tala on his back if he did; whining about being left out of all the fun again."

"Yeah. I'm actually kinda surprised Tala is letting Kai off with as much as he is. What with the whole company thing."

"I think Kai's called his father in. I'm not entirely sure. I didn't ask him directly because I didn't want to annoy him any further than I already had. He hasn't heard back from them yet."

Tyson looked thoughtful. "I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing."

"He did say he was reaching out for the last time. But he can't keep doing this, Tyson. It's just another reason for him to neglect himself. And on top of that, it was his grandfather's company. I get the impression that he's still... I dunno... like a prisoner, still trapped under that man's shadow. Still living the way Voltaire wanted him to, whether Kai wants it or not. I've been doing everything I can to help, but there's not a lot that I can do. I'm really worried about him, Tyson," Ray admitted. "He needs someone who can really take the weight off his shoulders."

Tyson leaned over the table and clapped Ray on the shoulder. "Then that will be us, any way we can. We'll find a way, just like we always have."

"The kind of help Kai needs means that the only one of us who even comes close to being qualified to help is Kenny," Ray commented.

Tyson raised an eyebrow. "Kenny?"

"Yup, Kenny. And that wouldn't really help matters. Kai needs someone who can at least take some of the workload and help to actually run the company. Reasons Kenny would be more suitable than the rest of us include the fact that he's more organised for one thing and he had a better idea than we do about how the business world works. Reasons that it's not really a good idea to do that; Kenny's still a kid, we ALL are, Kai wouldn't want to lumber him with those kinds of responsibilities, it would give Kai even more to worry about and as much as Kenny is more suited than the rest of us, he's not actually suitable enough. Like I said, it wouldn't help matters. There's only so much any of us can do, Tyson. And even with that... it's not enough. Not even close."

"... I don't think Kai would like hearing you saying this, Ray. He knows we're willing to do anything for him and that we'll always try our best. Don't feel like you're not doing anything when you're really doing so much already." Tyson looked down at the table between them. "Think about it. Kai came to you first. Every time. You've always made me a bit jealous actually, because you two seem so close. I'm the rival Kai's always wanted, but not the friend."

"I'm sorry, Tyson. I'm just..." Ray sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. "I'm scared that if we can't get this resolved he'll work himself into the grave we thought he was already in." Ray looked up. "You know what? Don't pay any attention to me. I had a run in with... an old friend today and I guess I'm just feeling a little stressed myself."

Now Tyson was frowning, "An old friend?"

"Nobody you know," Ray responded with certainty.

"Well, what happened then? Why are you stressed?"

"We had a fight," Ray answered.

"A fight?"

Ray was silent for a while before he spoke again, "When I said friend, I didn't really mean it as in a buddy. More like acquaintance. Actually, that's wrong too. I would say enemy, but it's too one-sided. Antagonist is too dramatic. Basically, they wanted me dead. Turned up in my village while Kai was there, got their ass handed to them gift-wrapped by Kai and figured they'd make another attempt if the Phoenix is dead. They don't really follow human news and they've fallen out of the council's good favour, yeah, it's a demon by the way, so it's like they're living under a rock. Saw me out on my own and seized the opportunity. They didn't expect me to be able to handle them myself this time around and found out Kai is alive from a newspaper lying on the ground so they bailed."

Tyson sat back heavily in his chair, having no idea how to respond to all that. "...Shit," he managed at last. "That's just... Shit... Are you alright?"

Ray smiled, "I'm fine, Tyson. It didn't last long. It was just a quick scuffle. He attacked, I dodged, kicked him, he knocked me down, I hurt his wings, he left. It couldn't have been more than a ten minute delay. Kai still knew. I was trying to act like nothing happened." Ray glanced around. "Keep this to yourself, but I was actually a bit worried at the time."

"I'm not surprised," Tyson commented. "I won't say anything."

"Thanks, Tyson," Ray responded sincerely.

"No problem," Tyson replied then stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Let's hit the sack."

"Good call," Ray decided with a nod and stood up, "Oh and Tyson?"

"Yeah, Ray?"

"Thanks."

Tyson smiled and got to his feet, "And like I said. No problem."

"Sorry for worrying you though. I guess I just needed to get it all off my chest."

"What are friends for, huh? At least you do get it off your chest, rather than carrying it around all the time like Kai does."

"I've been on his case plenty of times about talking so not doing so myself would make me a hypocrite. Besides, bottling it up is unhealthy."

"Yeah. We'll get through to him eventually though."

Ray smiled and nodded, feeling encouraged by Tyson's optimism. "We'd better remember not to let Daichi make too much noise in the morning," he commented. "Good night, Tyson."

Tyson smiled back. "Night, Ray."

000

After a good night's sleep, Ray was viewing the situation on a much lighter note. But then, things always did look better in the morning. Kai was having his lie in, just as he'd planned, and even Tyson was already up. Tyson had gone off with Daichi to keep the younger blader away from the house so he wouldn't wake Kai, which Ray decided was very considerate of the world champ. Ray was currently making cups of tea in the kitchen for himself and Tyson's grandpa, being sure to keep the volume down in his activities so as not to disturb the Russian.

As Ray was making the tea, Kai trudged though, yawning and running a hand through his bangs. He lifted a groggy hand to Ray in greeting.

"Morning Kai, want a coffee while I'm here?" Ray offered.

Kai sat down at the table and leaned on it heavily, still not fully awake. "No thanks," he mumbled, yawning again. "I'm staying away from coffee. Can I have tea though?"

"Sure," Ray responded brightly, making a cup of tea for Kai, placing it in front of him then taking a cup through to Tyson's grandfather before returning to join Kai once more. He decided to let Kai wake up a bit more before asking about seeing Boris.

Kai sipped on the tea gladly and sighed. Sleeping in had done him some good and he felt ready to face the day ahead. "Where are the others?" he asked, his eyes now open fully as he rubbed the last of the sleep from them.

"Off with Daichi somewhere so he wouldn't wake you," Ray answered.

Kai nodded. "So, you were here alone?"

"Not alone. Tyson's grandpa is through there and we were chatting a while. Besides, I wanted to wait for you because I need to ask you something."

"Oh?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow as he took another sip of his tea.

"I was wondering if you'd mind me tagging along today," Ray responded bluntly, "When you go to the prison."

Kai's eyes widened slightly in surprise and he put his cup down. "Are you sure?"

"I know I haven't suffered to the same extent that you and everyone else who grew up in the abbey have, but still, I'd like to see for myself that that man is where he belongs."

Kai thought about this for a moment then nodded, "Alright, as long as you're sure. We'll leave in an hour. I'll get someone to pick us up and take us there."

"Thanks, Kai," Ray replied gratefully.

"It's okay," Kai told him. Finishing his tea, he stood up. "I'm gonna go for a shower before we leave."

"Okay," Ray responded with a nod, "Just leave your cup, I'll wash it." Kai thanked him and headed through for his shower.

000

A sleek black saloon car was waiting outside the house when Kai and Ray were ready and they were soon on their way to the prison. Kai had called the previous day so the prison staff members were expecting Kai and it didn't take the Russian long to explain the reason for Ray's visit.

They weren't allowed to enter the main prison for security reasons and so Boris had been moved into one of the interrogation rooms. Kai and Ray were shown through into the observation room next-door and Kai paused as his gaze fell on Boris, sitting at the table on the other side of the glass. The man was handcuffed and wearing plain prisoner clothing. Without the green coat and goggles, he didn't look nearly as intimidating as usual, but Kai still felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

Taking a slow, calming breath he turned to Ray. "Are you happy enough to stay here?" he asked, "'Cause I'm going in."

Ray nodded in confirmation, "Yeah."

"Alright," Kai replied. He was shown through to the interrogation room and let inside while a guard stood outside to wait.

Boris looked up as Kai entered and a small, satisfied smirk appeared on his lips. "Well, this is a surprise. Of all the people to visit me I didn't expect you, young Kai."

Kai glared at him as he stood on the other side of the table, his back to the glass window of the observation room. "Who'd want to visit you?" he asked in a low voice. "You might as well be dead now, Boris. Your precious BEGA is gone and nobody gives two shits about you now."

Boris sneered, "And yet, here you are. So why don't you stop pretending you don't care and get to the point."

Smirking, Kai leaned over the table and stared Boris in the eyes, "I came to tell you that I'm free."

Even through the glass, the tense atmosphere could be felt by everyone observing the two. It was almost suffocating. Cold and harsh.

The chain between Boris' cuffs chinked together quietly as the man lifted his hands to rest them on the table in front of him, fingers laced together. "No you're not," he told Kai without any uncertainty. "If you were, you wouldn't be here. I've seen the papers. You've taken over your grandfather's company, a company that will go nowhere without Biovolt now."

"Biovolt is gone!" Kai said firmly, clenching his fists. "It's completely dissolved, along with BEGA and any other plans you had."

"But the influence is still there," Boris replied. "And as long as I have that influence over people, you'll never be free, Kai. You're still living the life of a Biovolt puppet. It will never be your own!"

The table clattered loudly across the room and into the wall as Kai threw it out of the way. Grabbing Boris by the shirt, he shook him violently. "You're wrong!" Kai shouted. "Voltaire's dead and you're going to rot in here for the rest of your days. You can't touch me now! No more mind games and no more controlling. It's over, Boris! Know when you are beaten."

Boris sneered again. "I'll bet you still have nightmares, don't you, Kai?" he asked in a menacing voice. "Nightmares about the childhood you were robbed of, the experiments in the abbey." An evil glint appeared in Boris' eye, "Your beloved mother." Kai froze and his eyes went wide. "How she sacrificed her life to save yours, something that was hardly worth keeping."

Kai's hand shook in Boris' shirt. "Sh-shut up... You're talking shit. My mother was killed because my father was a coward and wouldn't stand up to you or Voltaire. But I did and I've won."

"Have you?" Boris asked. "Then why are you still shaking? Why are you arranging to have your father run the company for you when you so clearly despise him?" The man's voice was cold and steady, sending haunting shivers up Kai's spine. "I'll tell you why... Because you know that deep down you are nothing without me, or Voltaire, or Biovolt. Your future is in your past and you will never escape that. You don't want to, because this blood-stained tale is one that I have created and you're nothing without it."

Kai let go of him and moved away quickly, turning so that those in the observation room could see his face. He was pale and his eyes were wide. Lifting a trembling hand, he placed it over his face to hide it, seemingly trying to compose himself.

"That's it," Boris smirked. "Block out all of your emotions. A weapon has no use of them. They're a disgusting human quality that you have been cleansed of."

A dark chuckle floated through the air, making some of the prison staff watching tense up instinctively. It was a truly haunting sound, almost menacing and psychotic. But it wasn't coming from Boris. Instead, Kai dropped his hand from his face and broke out into full laughter.

"What's so funny?" Boris demanded with a snarl. "Have you finally lost it?"

Still laughing, Kai turned back and approached the man. As he did, a small alarm went off in the observation room as the sound suddenly died from interrogation. A staff member at the computer tried to fix the problem, but quickly realised that the microphone had somehow short circuited. Unable to do anything about it, the small group of onlookers could only watch as Kai leaned forward and spoke into Boris' ear. Colour drained from the man's face instantly and his eyes widened, while Kai pulled back with a dark smirk on his face. He approached the door, pausing only to throw one last comment over his shoulder at Boris, then stepped out and closed the door gently behind him. Boris remained frozen in some kind of shock induced trance, staring unseeingly at the wall.

"What happened?" Ray asked Kai quietly.

Kai adjusted his scarf round his neck slightly and walked past Ray. "It doesn't matter," he answered. "We're leaving."

Ray looked at Boris again and moved to follow Kai before turning back once more. "Is that defeat?" he wondered about Boris' expression then followed Kai without another word. Leaving the prison, Kai and Ray got back into the car that was still waiting for them and Kai had the driver take them both back to Tyson's house. Kai didn't say a word for the whole trip, keeping his gaze directly ahead of him as he lost himself in thought.

000

Arriving at Tyson's Kai got out of the car before the driver had a chance to open the door for him and headed through the gate. "Kai?" Ray asked in concern after thanking the driver and following the older teen.

Kai ignored him. "Sounds like the others are back," he mused quietly, hearing beyblades clashing on the other side of the house.

"I guess," Ray said softly but continued to watch Kai growing more concerned by the minute. If Kai sensed Ray's eyes on his back he certainly didn't let on that he knew and disappeared inside. He shut the door behind him before Ray could follow, a subtle hint that he wanted to be left alone, at least for the moment. Not knowing what else he could do Ray headed round to join the others and sat down on the engawa without a word.

"Hey, Ray," Tyson and Daichi greeted in unison, looking up briefly from their match.

Max, Kenny and Hilary were there too and Max wandered over to sit next to Ray. "Hey buddy, what's up?" the blonde asked. "You look bothered by something."

"I'm worried about Kai," Ray answered softly. "He spoke with Boris and he's barely said anything to me since. Just that we were leaving and then a comment about you guys being round here, but I dunno if he was actually talking to me there or himself."

"So he went to the prison, huh?" Max mused. "That doesn't sound healthy. Think he's bottling things up again?"

Ray nodded, "Yeah. I went with him. I didn't speak to Boris though. Didn't need to. I just needed to see he was really there. They spoke about a few things. Sorta like a mind game battle and then the mic stopped working. I dunno what happened after that. I asked but Kai just said it didn't matter. Obviously it did or he wouldn't be so bothered by it. I dunno what to do, Max. It feels like I'm back at square one."

Max hummed thoughtfully. "Think calling Tala would do anything?" he suggested. "Kai might be more inclined to talk to Tala about anything to do with Boris."

"You got a contact number for him here?" Ray asked.

"Hilary has," Max replied. "Cassie gave it to her."

Ray managed a small smile and thanked Max quietly before heading over to Hilary and asking her for a quiet word. He felt it would be best to let her know of the situation while he was at it. She had a right to know how things were going with her boyfriend. But, as with Max, Ray didn't go into any specific details. It was Kai's place to decide who heard those. He told her the same thing he'd told Max, that Kai and Boris had spoken and then he mentioned Max's suggestion about calling in Tala. Hilary didn't hesitate to pull out her phone and offered to call Tala and get him to come over right away. "Thanks, Hilary. I really appreciate it," Ray told her sincerely.

"It's the least I can do," Hilary replied and called Tala. The phone call barely lasted a minute. "He's on his way now," Hilary told Ray, putting her phone away. "He sounded worried."

"Well he's not the only one," Ray murmured wishing there was more he could do.

Hilary placed a hand on Ray's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. "Maybe this is just part of the recovery process for Kai," she suggested. "After all, everyone deals with things differently."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Ray responded, managing to sound more convinced than he really was. It was like a domino effect. One of them got a bit down in the dumps and then they were all feeling it, like it was contagious or something. Bottling it up wasn't the answer, but Ray decided he could shoulder it until Tala arrived and then tell him all about it, away from the others. Tala was more likely to actually be able to do something about it after all.

Twenty minutes later the Russian arrived. He greeted the group briefly, then immediately approached Ray. "How bad is he?"

Ray beckoned Tala away from the others and told him about the topics that Kai and Boris spoke of, though he still didn't go into further details. He suspected that Tala would have a few guesses about what was said anyway. "And then he closed the door," Ray finished telling Tala.

Tala gritted his teeth and swore quietly in Russian out of frustration. "I didn't even want him going to see Boris," he muttered. "I wish I'd known he was planning to do it so soon." He sighed. "This could get ugly. From past experience, when Kai tries to lock away all his emotions like this, he reacts rather violently to people trying to break down his barriers. I'm telling you this because it could turn into a fight."

"He went to see Boris because he wanted closure," Ray pointed out to defend Kai's decision.

Tala frowned. "No, he didn't."

"So you're saying he was after the confrontation? Not just to tell him it was over?"

Tala nodded, "The confrontation, the thrill of facing down an enemy, revenge. When it comes to Boris and Voltaire, Kai's heart is black and there's no telling what he might do. For example, if he'd been able to get away with it, there's no doubt in my mind he would have killed Boris today in that prison."

"I can't believe that about Kai," Ray commented after a heavy silence. "He's stubborn and short-tempered but I can't believe he's that dark. He's better than that."

Tala locked eyes with Ray. "Boris used to beat Kai within an inch of his life. Kai watched his own mother get executed right in front of him at Boris' hand. And he's put up with the mental abuse for as long as he can remember. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment and try to imagine what you would do, because as frightening as it sounds, there's a part of Kai that would see killing Boris as justifiable murder." Tala looked away. "We just have to hope he's got better control over his emotions than that, which is what I'm hoping for, considering how he tried to block you out when you both came back."

"So what should we do?" Ray asked.

Tala actually looked slightly anxious. "Treat him like a bomb, one that could go off at any minute. There's no way of knowing how he'll react, but we need to try and get him to talk."

"I think he wants to be left alone for the moment," Ray mused uncertain of what to do.

"Well that's just tough, because I'm not going to give him a moment longer to brood over things." Tala then headed through to where Kai was and threw the door open loudly.

Kai was sitting against the wall resting his head back on it. He'd been deep in thought but looked round when the door opened. A frown appeared on his face when he saw Tala. "What d'you want?"

Tala stepped into the room, leaving the door open in case Ray wanted to follow. "Ray told me what happened at the prison. I came to see how you're holding up."

"I'm fine," Kai said curtly. "Go away."

Tala snorted, "Charming. We're worried about you and I personally am fed up with your emotional constipation. I know Boris tried to mess with your head, so just tell me if he actually succeeded."

Kai looked away and glared at the floor. "Po'shyol 'na hui."

"Zatk'nis," Tala growled back.

"Hn."

Tala sighed and looked back at Ray. "Boris got to him. I can tell by how hostile he's being. Still, at least he's got enough control to sit quietly and not trash the place."

"I can hear you, you know," Kai grumbled.

"And you're talking now," Ray pointed out optimistically.

Kai grumbled again and Tala glanced back at him. "He should be alright with a little time," the older Russian said. "We'll just need to keep an eye on him. He'll talk when he's ready."

Ray nodded and looked at Kai. "What I said that time above the falls, it still applies, Kai." Kai smiled slightly in thanks and nodded.

Tala turned back out of the room. "I'd appreciate it if you keep me informed, Ray," he said to the other teen, before moving closer to whisper something in his ear, "Something to help him sleep tonight might help." Ray looked between the two Russians and bit his lip before nodding. He didn't want to betray Kai's trust by slipping him something, but he also understood that it would be best for Kai to get the sleep he needed. It also occurred to him that he wasn't the best person to go behind Kai's back since he now knew Kai could access his senses which could be a problem. Tala smirked. "Relax. Try chamomile tea," he advised and walked away. "Works every time," he said over his shoulder.

"Okay," Ray responded with a nod even though Tala's back was turned, "Thanks." Ray then looked at Kai feeling somewhat relieved, "So would you prefer to be alone?" he asked to be sure he wasn't in Kai's way at all.

Kai sighed and shrugged. "I don't really mind now, to be honest," he replied. "I just needed to calm down a bit."

Ray nodded in acceptance and moved to sit down nearby. "I'm sorry if you didn't want me saying anything but I was really worried about you."

"It's alright," Kai told him. "I know you wanna help and I appreciate that. Just give me a day or two and I'll be fine."

"Okay," Ray replied. "If you need to vent or anything I won't mind."

Kai picked at his nails distractedly. "...I think I'm just trying to take in too much at once," he admitted hesitantly, "Boris and Voltaire, the company, the media about my faked death story." He sighed again and leaned his head back against the wall. "I want to get away from all of it, Ray. Where to, I don't know. Just away."

"You know we'll help any way we can," Ray pointed out. He could have mentioned that he'd been telling Kai to take a break but he didn't feel it would be prudent to do so.

"Mm," Kai nodded then pulled his phone out of his pocket as it started to ring. "Yes..." Kai's eyes widened slightly as the person on the other end of the phone spoke, "Really? Alright then, I'll meet with him this evening... Good. Thanks." He hung up and looked back at Ray. "He actually came through this time."

"That's great," Ray responded; realising Kai must have been speaking about his father.

"I must admit, I'm surprised," Kai told him. "I was sure he wouldn't respond to my request."

"Well hopefully that means you'll have less to worry about, right?"

"Hopefully," Kai agreed. He glanced at the other teen again hesitantly. "...I've been thinking."

Ray cocked his head a little. "Oh?" he prompted curiously.

Kai nodded. "The thing is, ever since I found out I was the Phoenix and heard about the demon council and everything else, I've wanted to learn more. But with the championships and that fiasco with BEGA, I never got the chance. Now though..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "You know I have an interest in old myths and legends, but I've never had the chance to pursue that interest. Now I do and I want to use it. But I've been almost completely alone for the last six months, so I'd rather have someone to travel with." He looked at Ray again. "I was wondering if you'd be interested?"

"Sure," Ray responded brightly after a moment of surprise. "Sounds like fun."

Kai blinked and stared at Ray for a moment, not quite believing that he had agreed so quickly. But Kai was so pleased that he had. "Yeah," he smiled, "A real adventure. I think it's just what I need."

"It'll do you good to have some fun without any pressure," Ray added.

Kai nodded and stood up, pulling out his blade, "How about a match? It's been a while." Ray smiled and followed suit, accepting the friendly challenge. It was a huge relief that Kai had brightened up.

000

Kai left to meet his father not long before dinner and it was late by the time he got back. Kenny, Hilary and Max had gone home and there was no sign of Tyson, Ray or Daichi. Kai walked into the house quietly, rolling his shoulders and neck carefully in an attempt the ease his tense muscles. The meeting with his father had gone well in the sense that Kai had got what he wanted, but he hadn't enjoyed the ordeal at all. He still couldn't trust the man he regretfully had to admit was his biological father, nor did he like him. But Susumu had agreed to run the company in Kai's absence, in hopes of starting to create a bond with his son. Kai however didn't even know if he wanted that.

Deciding that it would be a good idea to eat something before turning in, since he'd missed dinner, Kai made his way through to the kitchen to see what he could scavenge from the fridge. But once he got there, instead of looking for food, he found himself zoning out and disappearing into deep thought. Something else had happened while he'd been out, something that Kai had no idea how to react to. His stomach churned uncomfortably, forcing the teen to have to make a run for the bathroom to throw up. Returning a few minutes later, he switched the kettle on and then flopped down into a chair at the table. As he waited for the water to boil, he idly started to scratch at the table-top with one fingernail, his mind once again wandering.

"Hey, you're back," Ray observed as he entered the kitchen.

Kai looked up and offered a small smile in greeting. "I thought you were asleep."

"I woke up," Ray responded. "How long have you been back? And how did it go?"

"I just got in," Kai told him. "And it went alright. Susumu is going to take care of the company for me for the time being."

Ray blinked at the name but then guessed it made sense since Kai had pretty much renounced the man in the past. "Are you alright?" Ray asked, guessing the meeting would have been uncomfortable for Kai.

Kai shrugged stiffly. "I don't really know," he replied honestly. "It's been a long day." The kettle clicked as it came off the boil and Kai heaved himself back onto his feet to make himself some tea.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Ray asked him.

Kai leaned heavily against the worktop and sighed. "I'm finally free and I don't know how to deal with it. I'm now able to move on, but all I can think about is my past... Tala was right. Boris did get to me today. I just didn't want to admit it."

Ray had only come through to get some warm milk to help him get back to sleep before he'd spotted Kai, but now he was more concerned about making sure the Russian was holding up okay. "But you didn't lose it," Ray pointed out. "Doesn't that count as a victory? He may have gotten to you, but he didn't get to you to the extent he wanted."

"No, but I wanted him to suffer," Kai replied clenching his fists. "I wanted him to feel what it was like to have your life controlled by other people, to lose your freedom. But now..." he trailed off and swallowed, feeling a bit sick again.

Ray frowned a little. "But now...?"

Kai grit his teeth. "The bastard has got out of it. He-" Kai knew he was getting worked up, but he couldn't help it. Taking deep breaths didn't calm him down either and he slammed his fist down on the worktop angrily. "He hung himself! The fucking bastard hung himself in his own cell using a ripped up bed sheet!"

Ray jumped as Kai hit the table and his eyes widened as he realised what Kai had just said. "He's dead?"

"Yeah..." Kai forced out, "The fucking coward!" His legs were shaking under him, so Kai allowed himself to drop slowly to his knees, gripping the worktop tightly and resting his forehead against it. "He took his own life and got out of having to pay for what he did to me. How am I supposed to deal with that? How can I move on without getting my revenge? Surely I deserve that much."

"If it's any consolation he looked defeated after you spoke to him..." Ray commented softly.

"I wanted him to suffer though!"

Ray flinched slightly and tried to think of something, anything to make Kai feel better. "He might not have suffered like you wanted, but you still beat him because he quit."

Kai was quiet for what seemed like a long time, before he heaved a sigh and turned to look briefly up at Ray. "I suppose... I just imagined things differently..."

"I know this is a terrible thing to say about anyone but I'm... sorta glad he's gone... He's not gonna come seeking revenge again and he can't harm anyone else."

Kai nodded numbly. "That's something I guess..."

"Come sit down and I'll do that for you. Tea, right?"

Standing slowly, Kai moved back to the table and sat down, "Yeah. Please." Leaning his elbows on the table, he held his head in his hands. Ray moved to the kettle to make Kai's cup of tea then brought it over to Kai, placing it in front of him. Kai stared down at the cup and watched as steam rose from it and swirled in the air. Then the smell of it reached his nose and he looked up at Ray. "Chamomile, huh?" he asked with a small, knowing smile. "This doesn't have anything to do with Tala, does it?"

"You got me," Ray confirmed.

Kai chuckled quietly and lifted the cup to his lips. "At least you're honest. I don't mind." Ray smiled, glad that Kai seemed to have cheered up before getting himself some milk, which he warmed in the microwave, and sat down at the table stifling a yawn. "Don't feel like you have to sit with me," Kai told him. "You look tired, so you should go back to bed. I'll be turning in shortly myself."

"After my milk," Ray replied, "It'll help."

Kai nodded and went back to his tea. By the time he finished it, his eyes were noticeably heavier. Washing his cup out, he headed for the door. "Am goin' bed," he mumbled, half asleep. "G'night, Ray."

"Good night, Kai. Sleep well."

"Mm. You too." The Russian then headed through to the dojo and collapsed onto the futon which had been put out for him. He was asleep within seconds. Ray finished his milk and cleaned up after himself before turning in as well.

000

The next morning Hilary gathered everyone at Tyson's to make an announcement. It was time for another trip to the swimming pool. Kai didn't have to go back to the company and some time to have fun would be good for all of them, so Hilary rounded her boys up and they headed off to the pool. Cassie and Tala joined them along the way.

When the group had arrived at the complex and changed Max made a beeline for the flumes, followed by Daichi and a very reluctant Kenny who'd caved to peer pressure to do so. Tyson was busy trying to talk others into joining them for the flumes. Ray declined informing Tyson bluntly that he was going to the 'boring pool' to get in some laps, so Tyson looked at the others once Ray had left repeating his question of who else was coming up to use the flumes, insisting they were a lot of fun and he didn't want them to miss out.

Hilary and Cassie decided to go into the spa pool again to relax, while Kai and Tala opted to join Ray. Kai smirked and made a comment to Ray about the other not being able to say anything about Kai doing lengths, since Ray had mentioned doing some himself.

"I can still comment on you being a workaholic," Ray responded with a grin. Kai rolled his eyes and waited to get his own back, taking the chance and pushing Ray into the competition pool once they were close enough. Ray yelped when he was pushed and complained the instant he surfaced. Kai and Tala laughed at him from the edge and then proceeded to bomb him. Ray turned his head away from the splashes biting out a string of Mandarin Chinese, most of which was made up of swears, and then proceeded to shove Kai when he surfaced. "I hardly think one little comment called for you to shove me in like that."

"Oh, lighten up, Ray," Kai smirked. "Isn't that what you guys have all been telling me over the years?" He splashed Ray again.

"Oh, wow, it must be bad if YOU'RE telling me to lighten up," Ray responded before splashing Kai back.

Kai laughed as an impromptu wrestling match started between himself and Ray, while Tala watched on from the pool's edge. The redhead couldn't help but smile. Seeing Kai like this was wonderful. With Boris and Voltaire gone forever and the company taken care of, Kai could finally start living his life his own way and enjoying it. And with friends like Ray and the others, he'd be okay. Tala was so thankful for that, though he'd never voice it out loud.

"Hey, wait, stop a sec," Ray suddenly commented to Kai, frowning and looking around.

Kai stopped instantly. "What's up, Ray?" he asked.

"That's weird... D'you smell fish?" Ray asked.

"Fish?" Kai repeated, confused. He sniffed the air. "Are you sure it's not the chlorine that you're smelling?"

"It's not. I can smell that too, it's hard not to, but there's also..." Ray trailed off a little as something occurred to him. "It's faint, that'll be why you can't smell it. But it's definitely there, I'm sure of that. Does it work for smell as well as sight?"

"I don't know," Kai answered, focussing his energy towards Ray, "Only one way to find out." Holding onto the edge of the pool for a moment, Kai connected to Ray's senses and sniffed the air again. He frowned. "I smell it now."

"Weird, right? Why would there be a smell of fish here? It's so faint that I can't even tell where it's coming from, but I don't think it's the café's kitchen."

"Maybe there's something stuck in the vents," Kai suggested, pulling on a pair of goggles that he'd had wrapped around his wrist. "I'll check it out." With that he disappeared under water. Ray pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the pool while he waited as it was an easier angle to watch all the pool activity from. It didn't take long for Kai to resurface and he swam over to Tala and Ray. "I think we've got a problem," he told them holding something up in his hand. It was the backbone of a fish.

"Brings up a lot of questions," Ray commented quietly.

"Any idea what it could be?" Tala asked.

"Not from just this, we'll need more clues to have any idea what we're dealing with," Ray answered.

"Let's take a look around and see if we can find anything else," Kai suggested.

"Good idea," Ray responded with a nod.

The three boys split up to search for more clues. Tala went through towards the flumes and other pools while Kai looked around the competition pool. He frowned when he realised he could smell fish for himself on one side of the pool near a door marked 'staff only'. Glancing around to make sure the coast was clear, Kai got out of the pool and approached the door. Trying the handle, he was surprised to find it unlocked.

Ray had headed for the lockers and changing area but doubled back when he lost the scent. He returned to the competition pool in time to see Kai at the door and decided to follow making sure no members of staff saw him.

Kai slipped in through the door and paused. In front of him was a set of concrete steps leading down to what must have been the plant room for the pool. Kai could hear the pumps and filters working and the air was warm. The fish smell was still present and even stronger as Kai began to descend the steps. Then something squeaked and Kai froze. "Something's in here," he whispered to Ray.

"Must be what's causing that smell," Ray whispered back.

Kai nodded, wishing he had his knife with him. Reaching the bottom of the steps he found a light switch and flicked it. As the lights came on, there was another squeak from nearby, followed by the sound of something slapping lightly across the concrete floor. "It's small," Kai mused, listening carefully. "And not very fast either. Can you see it anywhere?" Ray looked around and shook his head before heading down further to check lower. The slapping sound came again, this time closer. Kai tried to follow the noise and work out where it was coming from when something small and black suddenly scurried past behind Ray's ankles, disappearing under some of the pipes, "Ray, behind you."

Ray turned around, "Which way did it go?"

"Down here," Kai said, moving over and kneeling down to take a look. It was dark under the pipes, making it difficult to see, but there was definitely something moving underneath. The creature trilled and chirped quietly, sounding not unlike a baby crocodile. "Come on out," Kai told it. "I know you're in th-!" He jumped suddenly and stiffened as something landed on his bare back.

Ray covered his mouth with a slight laugh. A small dark creature that almost resembled a great crested newt in shape had landed on Kai. The skin was almost black, except for the all the colours that appeared when the light hit it. "It's a kakusu water sprite," Ray told Kai, reaching out to gently coax the little creature onto his arm instead of Kai's back. "This one's just a baby. I wonder where the mother is. She shouldn't have gone far. Not really the best habitat for them."

Kai breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his back. "That was not funny," he told Ray, before blinking as another one appeared, jumping onto his leg. It was the first one Kai had seen that had run past.

"I'm sorry, but I found it funny. Then again, I was in a position to see what it was so knew it was pretty safe. These little guys are harmless at this age. Check out the way the light reflects off their skin," Ray commented, angling the sprite on his arm to demonstrate. "As they get older, they lose that and develop a sort of chameleon ability. See these little spines along the back? They straighten up a bit but remain flexible."

Kai looked down at the little critter on his knee. "And just how big will they get?"

"About four feet long on average," Ray answered.

"Great," Kai muttered. "And are they aggressive? Because if the mother turns up, I don't think she'll be too happy to see us with her brood."

"That depends on the circumstances. The mother is likely to become aggressive. Not just because we're with her brood but also because of the area. She can't have come in here by choice. And that's going to be a problem for this pool anyway that will need to be dealt with."

Kai nodded, "And soon." Turning to look back at Ray, Kai smirked suddenly. "Look out," he warned, spotting a third baby scuttling over towards Ray. It had spotted his hair tie and was closing in on it fast. Ray turned to face the youngster and held out his arm for its sibling to climb down. "We're going to have to find the mother," Kai decided as the youngster clambered down Ray's arm and toppled onto its sibling. "The last thing we need is her causing a panic."

"Yeah," Ray agreed softly, watching the youngsters.

All of a sudden, an alarm started going off throughout the building, accompanied by screaming coming from up on poolside. Kai cursed under his breath. "Too late," he said, standing up and heading for the stairs as there was a loud gurgling bellow. "She's back."

000

Kai rushed back up the stairs and out the door to see people fleeing from the pool and out the emergency exits. There was some sort of disturbance in the tunnel between the competition pool and the others. "How do we tackle this thing, Ray? You're the expert here."

"We'll need to draw her outside. It would be best to get her and her young to a more suitable habitat to prevent her returning. But I'm not sure quite how we're going to manage that. If we took her young, she should follow, but she's likely to attack while she does."

Kai frowned as he tried to come up with a plan. "I'll draw her attention," he decided. "You grab the brood together and get them as close to the outdoor pool as possible."

"Alright," Ray agreed. "Be careful." Kai nodded and headed off towards the mother, while one of the babies managed to clamber up the stairs and attack Ray's hair. "I'll need to find a way to carry you guys more easily," Ray commented as he pulled his ponytail over his shoulder in order to catch the youngster and headed back down the steps looking around. He found a box that had space for all three of the youngsters and set about trying to get them into it. Two of the babies went into the box no problem. The third one however was more difficult and started towards the stairs, chirping loudly. It was answered by a low grumble as the mother appeared in the doorway. She hissed at Ray when she saw him, as her baby reached her and scampered in between her front legs. "Uh oh..." Ray murmured.

Facing off against any wild animal had an element of risk to it. But nothing was more dangerous than an angry mother protecting her young. And this one was furious. The tall, sharp spines along her back stood up high in a threatening display as she bared her teeth and let out a watery growl. Sharp claws on her webbed feet tapped lightly on the concrete and the two youngsters in the box responded to that by squeaking. The mother then moved, starting down the steps at an intimidatingly slow pace, her gaze never leaving Ray and her babies.

Suddenly, before she could attack, Kai appeared in the doorway and grabbed her tail, yanking it hard. The mother stumbled and turned around, her mouth agape with a snarl, and flew at the other teen. "Quick, Ray!" Kai shouted, pulling back out of sight with the mother snapping after him. The third baby squeaked in alarm and pressed itself against the wall in an attempt to hide, as its mother reared up and butted Kai in the chest. A loud splash followed as they both ended up in the pool. Ray moved over to the third youngster and put it in with its siblings. He spoke softly to them, trying to comfort them, and headed up the steps, around the competition pool and through towards the other pools.

000

Meanwhile, Kai and the mother continued to fight. In the water, Kai was at a major disadvantage. The kakusu water sprite was swift and could move easily, using her powerful tail to propel herself through the water. She also didn't need to come up for air like Kai did and quickly caught onto this fact. Taking advantage of it, she forced Kai down to the bottom of the pool and then leapt out. Finding her brood gone from their hiding place, she snapped her jaws and took off down the hall, following their scent.

Kai surfaced with a gasp, just in time to see the creature's tail disappear though the tunnel. "Shit!" he cursed, hauling himself out to follow. He ran as fast as he could without slipping on the wet floor. The mother was running after Ray, who by now had reached the exit to the outdoor pool. Knowing that he had to stop her before she got to his friend, Kai focused his energy just enough to give himself a burst of speed and flung himself at the kakusu water sprite.

They slid across the wet tiles violently, grunting and snarling. The mother thrashed her strong tail and Kai heard a loud clang as they crashed into the tall metal lifeguard chair, before sliding into the wave pool. Desperate to get to her young, the mother butted Kai again in the chest and forced him down, then rushed away as something else landed in the pool above them. It was the lifeguard chair.

Without his goggles, Kai couldn't make out the shape until it was too late. The tall metal frame of the chair landed across him, completely pinning him down and trapping him under water. Frantically Kai tried to push it away, but it was too heavy for him to move alone. Realising this, he started to panic while the water sprite swam off towards the outdoor pool, where she could hear her brood chirping and calling for her.

Having gotten the brood outside, Ray moved them to some plant cover and opened the box to let them out. He suddenly knew he was in danger, sensing it without sound, sight or smell, and moved back, away from the youngsters. There was a shift in the water to his side and Ray watched the mother slip out of the water and towards her young. He hadn't even seen her until she left the water thanks to her camouflaging ability. Satisfied they would be okay now, Ray headed back inside to look for Kai, wondering where the other teen was. It was almost eerie in the building with everybody gone and the lack of sound was worrying. "Kai?" Ray called out. Reaching the wave pool, Ray spotted the lifeguard chair in the pool with Kai underneath it and gasped before swimming over and moving to help get Kai free.

Kai could barely hold his breath for much longer. His lungs were screaming for oxygen and he was fighting the urge to gasp. Seeing the blurry vision of Ray, he renewed his attempts to get out. The chair scraped against the side of the pool with the pair's joint effort and Kai finally managed to pull free. Darkness crept in at the edges of his vision as his body started to fail him.

With Kai free, Ray pulled him to the surface quickly, "Kai?" Ray asked, concerned as he made sure the Russian's head was above water. Kai coughed and spluttered for a moment as he gasped for air, grabbing at the edge of the pool for support. "Are you alright?" Ray asked, staying close in case Kai needed help.

Kai nodded as he continued to cough, slowly pulling himself out of the water to lie on the edge. "Yeah..." he breathed. "Thanks..."

"You don't have to thank me, but you're welcome," Ray responded as he pulled himself out of the pool to sit next to Kai.

"Hn," Kai smirked slightly, catching his breath. "Did you get the brood out okay then?"

"Yeah, the mother's with them."

"Good," Kai nodded, sitting up. "Hopefully she'll take them somewhere else." Still a little shaky from the shock of nearly drowning, Kai checked himself over quietly. He would no doubt have some bruises later from the fight with the mother, but thankfully he'd managed to avoid any major injury. He just had a few scratches here and there that would heal in no time. "I think I've had enough of swimming for today," he told Ray.

"I don't blame you. I think I have too," Ray replied. The whole thing had given him quite a scare too. He suddenly snickered. "We're the only ones in here. How weird is that? Looking around and seeing absolutely no one?"

Kai glanced around and then smirked, "Yeah. It's actually kinda freaky. Let's go. If we're quick we might be able to avoid getting asked questions. That and we should find the others."

"They must have left with everyone else when the place was evacuated. They'll probably be worried about us."

Kai nodded. "Let's not hang around then."

"Shall we try going round that way," Ray gestured to a glass door near the windows, "And just tell them that we were trying to see what was going on?"

Kai got to his feet. "Good idea," he said. "Things will just get out of hand if people find out we got involved."

"You gonna be alright?" Ray asked, knowing that he had to act like nothing had happened once they re-joined the others.

Kai smirked. "Yeah, I'll be fine. But it was a close call."

"Too close," Ray agreed. "You really scared me."

"I scared myself," Kai admitted and clapped Ray on the shoulder. "Thanks for saving me."

"You've done the same for me plenty of times," Ray commented. "Like I said, you don't need to thank me. If you're sure you're okay, let's get out of here before we get caught."

Kai nodded. "Ready when you are."

"Okay," Ray nodded and they headed over to the glass door, checked the coast was clear and slipped out. Once outside they headed round towards the others pretending they'd been trying to see what had happened through the windows but to avoid further questioning they decided to act like they hadn't seen anything at all. Fortunately, there was a lot of confusion around the people gathered anyway with some other people missing, so their absence wasn't all that suspicious.

When the commotion died down and everyone was allowed back inside it turned out that the other missing people had simply left by another exit. Either way, everybody had had enough of the pool and the gang decided to head back to Tyson's. Tala, however, drew Ray and Kai aside for questioning without the others knowing.

"Oh great, here we go," Kai muttered to Ray.

"Well it shouldn't come as a surprise. He was kinda in on it," Ray muttered back.

"Yeah. Any excuse for him to yell at me."

"Stop that right now both of you," Tala told them and Ray looked down to hide his amusement. "I wanna know what the hell happened in there, so spill. And you owe me because I was covering for you and stopping Tyson from rushing back in there."

Kai glanced at Ray then turned back to Tala. "Not a lot," he answered with a shrug.

Tala narrowed his eyes, "Don't give me that. What was it and how did you deal with it? And you're trying to hide something so I know something happened."

"No, I'm just not all that bothered," Kai replied in a bored tone, "Some kind of water sprite with a brood of three in the plant room. Ray knew more about it than me."

"We just had to lead her outside," Ray added. "She was just upset about her young, but they couldn't stay in the building or someone else would have found them."

"So we were doing the responsible thing," Kai finished, "No big deal. I've dealt with worse. Like that dragon for example." Tala hummed slightly as he fixed them both with a suspicious glare. He knew there was more to it than either were letting on. Kai's jaw muscles tightened as he clenched his teeth and he folded his arms. If Tala wanted to know everything that happened, he would have to ask Ray. Kai wasn't saying any more.

"That's all it was," Ray spoke up. "One of the babies was being a bit awkward and that slowed down our progress. Can we go now? My hair still stinks of chlorine and I want to wash it again."

"Don't be such a girl," Tala snapped, irritated by the attempt to change the subject.

"This coming from the person that Ian calls 'mama'," Ray responded and Tala stared at him for a moment in disbelief. Before Tala could react Ray then took off, sprinting away.

"I'm gonna wring your neck!" Tala yelled when he got over his shock that Ray had actually dared to say that to him and ran after younger teen.

Kai watched after them for a few seconds then doubled over with laughter. Once it had subsided, he went after the two. "I'd better go save him," he mused.


	6. Chapter 5

Author Note: I'd like to take a moment to remind you all of what Phoenix always says: **Don't like, don't comment**.

Also, I'd like to direct your attention to the Between Two Realms website. h,t,t,p,:,/,/,sites.,google,.,com,site/beybladebetweentworealms/ (remove the commas ,)The story content is not yet public (only Rangerapprentice earned the right to access that) but there is a section now for Q&A. This is where I have taken the questions that the reviewers have asked and answered them there for all to see.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Five

"I wonder what even happened there anyway," Max commented to Tyson as they stood in the grounds around the dojo wondering what to do with the rest of their day. "I didn't see anything. And when they let us back in nothing looked different. It's so weir-"

"Coming through," Ray called rushing past between them to the opposite wall and jumped up onto it then down the other side. Before Max had the chance to ask what it was all about, Tala followed after Ray, pausing at the top of the wall to look around as he'd lost sight of his quarry.

Max looked at Tyson, "Any idea what that was about?"

Arriving just behind, Kai heard the question and smirked. "Ray used the forbidden word on Tala," he explained with a snigger. "So now Tala's flipping his wig."

"Wait, you mean he said..." Max began, not daring to go any further in case Tala heard and turned on him. "But he knows how Tala gets, why would he do that?"

"Because he's an idiot," Kai replied, deciding not to clue them in on what had actually happened.

Tala picked a direction to try and disappeared from view as he jumped down. "What did Tala drag you two off for anyway?" Tyson asked Kai.

"He just got worried when he couldn't find us at the pool," Kai lied, "Wanted to give us an ear bashing."

"Aw man, sucks to be you," Tyson commented.

The Russian rolled his eyes. "You're telling me."

"Is Ray gonna be alright?" Max asked. "I mean, all the stuff Tala did to Ian for saying that word, not to mention tearing up the living room trying to get Tyson when he accidentally set him off..."

"He'll be alright. Tala knows not to go too far with any of you guys."

"If you're sure," Tyson responded then blinked as Ray jumped back onto the wall, down again and walked over to them pulling a few leaves out of his hair.

"He picked the wrong direction," Ray offered as an explanation. "And the delay was enough time for me to cover my tracks. Though I doubt it'll take him long to realise he's on a wild goose chase."

"Maybe you should grab that shower while you can then," Kai suggested.

"Yeah," Ray agreed with a nod.

"Hey, Ray, why did you say 'the m word' to Tala?" Tyson asked.

"He started it," Ray responded before heading inside.

"Huh?" Tyson asked and looked to Kai for any answers.

Kai shrugged. "Don't look at me. I wasn't paying much attention." Tyson and Max looked at each other and shrugged.

000

Grumbling under his breath, Tala returned to Tyson's place already knowing he'd gone the wrong way. Hearing the water in the pipes as the shower ran, Tala paused and smirked a little. He'd gone the wrong way, yes, but he'd been right to come straight back. In the meantime he headed over to join Kai. "I'll let what happened at the pool go," he commented before sitting down. "Obviously you're both alright or you wouldn't have come back out when you did and would probably have been found by the officials."

"Exactly," Kai nodded. "So there really was no point in getting all worked up about it. We can take care of ourselves."

"**You** can," Tala snorted thinking back on all the times Kai had been forced to pull his teammates out of trouble and the fact that he'd been taking care of himself while in hiding.

"Because I had to," Kai agreed. "At least some training from Biovolt proved useful..."

"Which none of them have had," Tala pointed out about Kai's use of the word 'we'.

The younger Russian rolled his eyes. "Whatever. They're fine with me."

"You don't get bored of the babysitting?"

Kai smirked. "It's a welcome change actually, every now and then. I'm not saying I'm pleased with the others for getting themselves into trouble. It really pisses me off actually. But I'm never bored." He looked at Tala. "While we're on the subject of their little adventures, I guess now would be a good idea to tell you my plans."

"What plans?" Tala asked frowning a little.

"Ray and I are leaving and heading out to track down other demons," Kai told him simply, "More or less. Dunno where we're going or how long we'll be gone for. It's a kind of spur of the moment type thing." _... And you're probably gonna hate the idea..._

"It pisses you off when they go looking for trouble and now you're going to do it yourself?"

_So predictable..._ Kai shook his head. "Think less of it as looking for trouble and more as an adventure."

"Spur of the moment, huh? What precautions are you taking? Have you thought to make sure you can feed yourselves wherever the hell you go? That you can protect yourselves and not get lost? Or did you just decide you're gonna step out the door and wing it like Tyson would?"

"Did you seriously just ask me that?" Kai asked pointedly, "Tala. I survived, alone, in several countries for six months, living off any source of meat I could find and hunt. And Ray will be no stranger to hunting either, having grown up in a mountain village. We'll manage."

Tala rolled his eyes, "You know different areas have different food sources, are you sure you know all the ones not to touch?"

"You know, I really wanna call you that name right now," Kai grumbled in a somewhat fed up tone.

Tala growled a little and narrowed his eyes at Kai. "You're an idiot, Kai. You're an idiot for this, you're an idiot for pissing about at the pool earlier and you're an idiot for that disappearing stunt. What the hell happened anyway?"

Kai shrugged. "Things got out of hand and I needed to disappear."

"Kai, that's not good enough. I want details."

Knowing the game was up, Kai sighed. He glanced around to make sure none of the others were nearby to listen, then spoke. "Do you remember the device that was being used to draw in demons, the one that even worked on me when I was tired?" Tala nodded his head. "Well, Voltaire came up with an improvement of that model, one that actually attached to the subject and controlled them. When I found him and snuck into the base, he tested it out on me." Tala swore under his breath and gestured for Kai to continue. Kai paused for a moment as he contemplated going any further, but knew that Tala wouldn't let the subject drop now that he'd been given a bone to gnaw on. So turning slightly, Kai pulled his hair away from the back of his neck. Underneath, appearing from his hairline was an angry looking scar. It was red and purple, forming a zigzag pattern half way down Kai's neck, until it faded away to nothing. Kai's hair was long enough to cover it, which had been convenient for him, but he was always aware of it. The scar burned and ached almost constantly and he'd had to learn to deal with it. Even the healing powers of the Phoenix had done little to ease it.

"So what exactly happened?" Tala asked Kai.

Kai turned back again, his fingers lingering over the scar. "Voltaire gassed me when I snuck into his base. By the time I realised what was happening, it was too late. I passed out and came to half way through the connection process. The pain was the worst thing I've ever experienced and my energy reacted violently to it. The device short circuited and I was able to rip it off then escape after destroying most of the place." Kai's hand fell away from his neck. "I lost Dranzer at some point in the chaos and ended up falling down into a ditch about a mile away from the complex. That's the last thing I remember, before I woke up at someone's house."

"Whose?" Tala asked.

Kai looked away. "Someone who owed me a favour," he replied vaguely.

"Oh?" Tala asked, not letting the matter drop.

"Yeah."

"Kai," Tala growled in irritation.

"Tala," Kai replied, wondering just how far he could push it.

"ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING GAMES!" Tala yelled, slamming his fist onto the table loudly. The water in the pipes had stopped so he knew Ray was finished but he'd lost interest in that matter. In all fairness he had provoked Ray and it wasn't as if the Chinese teen made a habit of using that word, unlike Ian. He could let it slide this time. Besides, Kai was pissing him off even more.

Kai actually jumped at the outburst, almost feeling sorry for the table, yet thankful that it hadn't been his head falling victim to Tala's fist. He glared at the older boy. "Why is it such a big deal to you?" he asked irritably. "It was months ago now!"

"If you tell anyone what I'm about to tell you, I will seriously hurt you, but is it really so shocking to find that I care? And you should have told me months ago."

Realising that Tala was right, Kai's cocky and, frankly, bratty attitude faded and he looked down at the table. "... It was Senga," he admitted quietly. "She found me in the ditch and took me somewhere safe to rest."

"And then you went into hiding and she knew?" Tala asked.

Kai pointed to his neck again. "This really screwed me up. I barely remember anything from the following month. Just blurry images every now and then. I took about two months just to fully recover, by which point the rumours about my death had started. So I decided to use it to my advantage."

"I still can't believe you didn't tell me," Tala muttered.

"...You were being watched," Kai mumbled.

Tala looked at Kai then down again with a scowl. He'd been sure to take precautions against that, so had the rest of the team. "All for nothing," he muttered.

"Oh don't start that," Kai growled. "How many times do I have to tell you all that it wasn't your fault?"

"We took precautions and they didn't work. Just how much were those bastards aware of?" Tala asked. With his upbringing, it took a lot to frighten Tala and knowing that he'd been watched by enemies despite covering his tracks was quite alarming.

"I don't know," Kai told him. "Voltaire just said that if I didn't comply, he would hurt you all and that he knew your locations. I wasn't prepared to call his bluff, if it was one."

"And of course he'd missed the chance to monitor Senga when you helped her slip off the grid," Tala mused. "Not that anyone would have expected you and her to get along at all given your history."

"That was what I was aiming for," Kai nodded. "And luckily enough for me, it worked. If she hadn't found me when she did, I would be dead."

"Well then I guess that gave her some use," Tala muttered bitterly. He still felt he owed her a good beating for leaving Kai in a burning building.

"She has changed, you know," Kai told him. "When she found me, she could have left me to die, like she did before. But instead, she chose to save me. I owe her my life."

"I guess that makes you even," Tala commented.

"Mm," Kai replied. He kept his gaze trained on the table. "I am sorry," he said quietly, almost in a whisper. "I wanted to come to you guys for help. But the one thing I couldn't stand was the thought of losing any of you... It won't happen again."

"Good," Tala responded.

Kai remained silent. He'd gotten his apology out of the way, like he'd been wanting to for a while now, and yet he still didn't feel right. Having discussed what had happened with Tala, Kai wasn't sure where he stood with the older teen now. Whether Tala forgave Kai for deceiving him, or would hold a grudge against him. Kai had betrayed the Blitzkrieg Boys just as much as he had the G Revolutions and the Russians tended not to be so forgiving. All in all, he felt awkward around the people he should feel most comfortable with. Did they really forgive him?

Tala tapped the table lightly in thought before it switched to irritation. "I must be getting soft," he muttered. "Shut up," he snapped before a comment could be made on his statement. He continued to tap the table in irritation before sighing and raking a hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm about to say this. Out loud anyway," he grumbled.

Kai gave a half-hearted grunt. "You mean to say the ice is melting?"

Tala shot him an irritated look. "I will hit you," he pointed out before sighing again, "I think of you as a little brother. That's why shit like that pisses me off and makes me worry. But that doesn't mean I won't hit you when you're being an insufferable, little brat."

Kai blinked and looked up at Tala slowly, almost wondering if he was dreaming. But after a moment he realised that the other really had said that and a small smile appeared on Kai's lips. He would never tell Tala just how much it meant to him to hear that. Instead, he let his smile turn into a smirk. "It's a good thing Bryan's not around to hear you say stuff like that. He'd probably shoot you."

"Not like he hasn't tried before," Tala shrugged. "I kicked Ian through his door four months ago, when he was trying to sleep."

Kai sniggered at the thought. "I'm amazed you made it out alive, but what about Ian?"

"He took advantage of his small stature," Tala responded.

Kai chuckled quietly, "Lucky escape. Wonder if I'll be as lucky."

Tala smirked a little. "Well, when you're on your little trip make sure to write at least. Don't just disappear again. Okay?"

"I won't," Kai agreed. "You have my word."

"I'll hold you to that," Tala responded. Kai smirked then looked up as he sensed Ray approaching. Tala watched this then looked round as Ray appeared in the doorway, brushing his hair. There was a lot of noise coming from the other room where Tyson and Max were presumably rough-housing, so it was probable that Ray was giving them a bit of a wide berth. His hesitation to actually enter the kitchen was obviously because of Tala's presence. "I thought cats didn't like water," Tala teased him half-heartedly as payback, but also to let him know that the matter was pretty much dropped, especially the girl jokes.

Picking up that Tala wasn't going to chase him again, meaning the danger was pretty much over, Ray grinned at the older teen's words. "No, but tigers love it," he responded.

Kai snorted slightly in amusement. "Feel better now with the chlorine smell gone?"

"Much better, thanks," Ray answered. "They're playing shin-kicking through there by the way. I think Hilary's going to batter them if they don't stop it."

Kai rolled his eyes and remained where he was. "Let her. They're asking for it if they're being silly like that."

Ray nodded his head and moved to sit down, continuing to brush his hair before tying it back to keep it out the way while he waited for it to dry. "Cassie will probably help her, so they're pretty much toast," he commented.

"She picking up bad habits from you, Tala?" Kai asked in amusement.

"I might have taught her a few self-defence tactics, but nothing major," Tala answered nonchalantly.

"Hn," Kai grunted. Pulling out his knife from his waist, he stabbed it into an apple that was on the table in a basket. "You're a bad influence."

"You're too kind," Tala responded with a smirk.

"Don't get used to it," Kai told him, starting to cut up his apple. "But, maybe you could also teach Hilary some self-defence. While I'm away I mean."

"Sure, I can do that," Tala answered. "I'll keep an eye on things for you too, don't worry."

Kai nodded. "I owe you one."

"Damn right you do."

000

Kai waited another week to make sure everything would be alright with his company before deciding that he could afford to leave. Susumu seemed to have everything under control and Kai was now anxious to get out and live his life the way he wanted to. So he and Ray got ready to leave. The others would be coming over to Tyson's later on to see them off.

Kai sighed as he packed his bag, pausing to look at a small photo he had. It was of him and Hilary. "D'you think I'm doing the right thing, Ray?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't see anything wrong with it. It's about time you had the chance to do something that you wanted to, for yourself," Ray answered. He looked up and offered a smile. "I reckon the others will agree."

Kai looked back at the photo, "But, what about Hilary? This is hardly fair on her."

"Ask her when she gets here."

Kai sighed again. "Yeah, you're right. I just don't want to hurt her."

"I know you don't," Ray replied. "Hilary knows that too. Don't worry so much, Kai."

Kai smiled slightly. "I'll try not to."

Tyson appeared round the doorway and looked inside. "That's the others here to see you off, guys," he told Kai and Ray. "You ready?"

Ray closed his bag and shouldered it before turning to face Tyson, "Yup. I'm ready, how about you, Kai?"

Kai stood up and slung his bag on his back, "Yeah. I'm ready," he replied.

"You should have a few minutes alone with Hilary," Ray commented to Kai.

"But what do I say?" Kai asked, utterly clueless. He wasn't the best at saying what he needed to without upsetting others and that was the last thing he wanted to do to Hilary.

"Tell her the truth. That for once in your life you're doing something you want to do without anyone dictating your life, but that you still love her. Assure her that you're not going to drop off the face of the planet," Ray answered. Kai couldn't help but go red in the face at the mention of the word 'love' and Tyson sniggered. Ray looked at Tyson, "And that's why you only ever have fangirls pursuing you."

Tyson continued to snigger. "Sorry. I just can't believe you used the word love in a sentence while referring to Kai."

"Yun toe ju nou," Ray muttered with a shake of his head. Tyson rolled his eyes and walked away, still smirking.

"...Thanks," Kai said quietly to Ray.

"Huh?" Ray turned his head to look at Kai, having just been amused at the fact that Tyson still had no idea that Ray was calling him an idiot. "What for, Kai?"

Kai looked away. "...For not laughing."

"What? You mean with Tyson? I have a girlfriend too. I couldn't laugh at that. Tyson not knowing what I called him however," Ray trailed off with a snicker. "That's gonna be my new nickname for him." Kai smirked, but it didn't last. "Kai?" Ray asked in concern.

Kai walked past him, adjusting his bag on his back. "I'm fine, Ray," he said, heading out. Ray followed quietly, leaving enough distance for Kai to spend a bit of time alone with Hilary.

000

Kai walked up to Hilary while the others went to see Ray. He cleared his throat hesitantly to get her attention. Hilary faced Kai and smiled. "Excited?" she asked him cheerfully.

"You could say that," Kai replied, "Though I don't really know what to expect."

"I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself. You're long overdue for taking a break from everything," Hilary responded.

"Yeah," Kai said quietly, looking down. "Um, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"...Are you okay with this?" Kai asked hesitantly. "Me going away I mean."

"Of course I am," Hilary answered. "I'll miss you obviously, but I'm sure it'll do you a lot of good to be able to just enjoy yourself."

"But I don't know how long I'll be away for," Kai told her. "And it's not fair to ask you to put up with that. So I had to ask."

"I'll wait, Kai," Hilary responded before her grin turned playful, "Just don't keep me waiting too long."

Kai's smile retuned slowly, as a weight was lifted from his shoulders by Hilary's words. "I don't deserve you," he said, touching her hand with his own. "I'll come back whenever I can."

"Good," Hilary responded. "Have you got a camera to bring me back pictures?"

Kai nodded, "Just a small one. But it'll do the job. We don't want to be weighed down by carrying too much."

Hilary smiled. "Make sure to take some scenery pictures too, okay?"

"Just for you," Kai agreed.

"Yay," Hilary cheered before hugging Kai. "You take care of yourself, you hear?"

"I promise I will," Kai replied as he returned the hug. "Besides, I've got Ray to watch my back this time. We'll be fine."

"And make sure you enjoy yourself," Hilary added as she smiled. "You deserve it."

Catching her chin carefully with his fingertips, Kai kissed her softly. "I'm sure I will," he told her as he pulled away. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I just want what's best for you. And all the stress you've been under is the complete opposite of that," Hilary responded, smiling brightly.

"I'll be fine," Kai assured her, before glancing at Ray to see if the other teen was ready. Ray had already finished saying his goodbyes and assuring the others he would take care and was waiting for Kai to say his. Seeing this, Kai looked at the others and told them all to stay out of trouble. He then pulled away from Hilary and said his last goodbye to everyone. The others responded with their own goodbyes, wishing Kai and Ray a safe and enjoyable journey.

000

Eurasia, especially India, was rumoured to be the realm of the unicorn. Cryptozoologists had yet to prove their existence to the world and many legends surrounded them, including one involving a story from the Christian Bible claiming that Noah had forgotten to take unicorns on board his Ark, causing them to disappear from the world. The purity of a unicorn made them popular with girls and a photograph of one, if possible, would therefore be a fantastic gift for Hilary. As such, the jungles of India were the first stop for Kai and Ray.

With provisions for both survival and study the pair made their way mostly on foot, taking a few days to reach their destination, a wooden bungalow for the use of travellers. Having already gained permission to use it beforehand it would serve as their home from home as they searched the surrounding area for clues.

They reached the building late in the day, too late to start their search. Instead they went over some maps and talked about the different routes they could possibly take whilst listening to the sounds outside the hut.

Kai relaxed as they went over the maps, soaking in the calm surrounding atmosphere. He'd wanted to go to India for a while now, so it was nice to actually be there. It was also nice to have a companion to travel with now, unlike before when he'd been on the move, supposedly dead.

Ray was a great travel partner. He was easy to talk to while they were on the move, but like Kai, Ray could also appreciate companionable silences. His knowledge of this kind of terrain would be helpful too and Kai knew there was much he could learn from Ray. He hoped the other boy might learn something from him too as they travelled on.

"So, where d'you think we have the best chance of finding anything?"

"Most likely in the denser areas, away from the trails," Ray answered. "Otherwise their existence wouldn't be under debate." Ray turned his head as there was a scream somewhere in the distance outside.

Kai's knife was out it's holster and in his hand in the blink of an eye. "Sounds like trouble..."

Ray stood up and walked over to the door, opening it and listening carefully. The scream came again and Ray turned to look at Kai. "It's a bear," he informed the older teen, "A very angry bear."

Kai joined Ray at the door. After a moment where he tapped into Ray's senses, he smirked. "Seems to me our first adventure has started already. Shall we?"

"We can go take a look but it'll probably be over by the time we get there. It's probably just a fight over some food. But I'm up for it," Ray answered.

"Fight over food?" Kai asked, "Sounds boring."

"You think so?" Ray asked. "Himalayan bears steal tiger and leopard kills. They even drive off leopards and I've heard they'll go after a full grown tiger too."

"Now, that sounds more interesting," Kai nodded.

"If that's the case it would probably result in the bear screaming. So you wanna go take a look and see if we can find anything to tell us what it was about?"

"Yeah, alright," Kai replied.

The pair secured the bungalow against animals and headed out into the darkening jungle towards the sound. They didn't encounter any large animals, but they did find signs of a fight between two predators. There was some evidence of a kill but the corpse was nowhere to be seen. From prints in the ground it seemed a large cat had left at a quicker pace than the bear. "I reckon the bear carried off the kill," Ray commented softly as he examined the tracks.

"Probably," Kai replied quietly. "Still, we'd better be careful."

Ray nodded in agreement and they looked around for a little longer before deciding they'd have to return to the bungalow. It was too dark to continue searching about in unfamiliar territory. They may not have found the animals in question but it did allow them to get an idea of some of the terrain they'd be facing as well as a little warm up practice on tracking.

Getting back to the bungalow, Kai stretched out on one of the low beds. "It's certainly a bit more interesting, knowing there are bears and tigers out there."

"Leopards too," Ray commented, "But they're really shy."

Kai smirked. "Tyson would be freaking out if he was here. In fact, he'd probably attract a tiger or something."

Ray laughed a little. "He'd probably be complaining about being hungry."

"And bored," Kai added. "No TV, no video games, no comics." Kai closed his eyes. "I on the other hand find this quite refreshing."

"Well you always enjoyed staying at mine," Ray replied.

"Why wouldn't I? It's quiet, there are no crowds and you're free to do what you want."

"Yeah, but sometimes it's nice to be closer to the crowds. It depends who's in them," Ray commented.

"Mmhm... True..." Kai mumbled quietly.

"Plus being in such a rural area means that news is always slow to arrive and everybody knows everybody else's business," Ray added before covering his mouth as he yawned. They had done a lot of travelling after all so it was understandable to be tired. "Having a choice to leave and return makes a big difference. I'm glad they let me travel. Being stuck there all the time and not allowed to leave would suck, as would not being allowed to return."

"...Hmm?" Kai lifted his head slightly from his pillow, only half awake, having not heard everything Ray had said.

"Just glad the village elders allow us to travel," Ray responded, "Hey, Kai? I'm about ready to hit the sack, you don't mind do you?" Kai's deep, even breathing was Ray's only reply, as the Russian had completely fallen asleep. Ray snickered a little and turned out the light before going to sleep himself. It wasn't often that Kai was asleep first.

000

Ray was awake early the next morning fully rested and ready to get started. Shockingly, Kai wasn't up yet and didn't even appear to be awake. After waiting for about an hour, Ray was growing bored, "Hey, Kai? You awake?"

Over on the other bed, Kai shifted slightly and let out a grumble. "No..." he breathed.

Ray lifted an eyebrow and shrugged. "How long you having a lie in for?"

"Nngh..." Kai grumbled intelligently, pulling his covers over his head. "Five more minutes..."

"Alright," Ray responded and waited for around ten minutes, surprised at how long Kai was staying in bed, before trying again, "How about now?"

A wave of groggy irritation radiated out from under the covers and lump that was Kai. "Piss off..." he murmured.

"Well I'm bored, so I'm going out for a walk and to look around in daylight. Laters," Ray decided and headed for the door. He could handle that particular kind of attitude to getting up because he was used to it with Tyson, it was just weird that it was coming from Kai. He wasn't that bothered really and was even amused. It was good that Kai was actually kicking back for a change. "Enjoy your nap," he commented before leaving, closing the door securely behind him.

"Be careful," Kai called just as Ray headed out. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Don't worry so much and go back to sleep," Ray responded, rolling his eyes. Typical Kai, even when half asleep and trying to nap he was still more worried about others.

000

Ray walked along a track enjoying the pleasant morning air and the sounds of birds singing and other animals calling to each other in the jungle. After about half an hour he came across some tracks which caught his interest. It appeared he'd stumbled upon some tiger tracks. Following them for a few minutes, Ray crouched to examine more of the ground and realised he'd come across a tiger's drag marks. With this realisation he also knew that the tiger could still be nearby, with its kill. Getting too close to that would be pretty stupid, so Ray decided to stop following the trail. He was still curious though, so he looked around.

Perhaps it was because his clan were the White Tigers, or maybe because his bit beast was one, but Ray was fascinated by the large cats and couldn't resist the opportunity to see one in the wild. Spotting a tree, Ray decided to head up it to try and take a look around for anything. Despite being up the tree without making any noise for some time Ray saw no sign of anything. He did spot something on the track and decided to go check that out, climbing down the tree to remain quiet.

All such plans were foiled when he felt a sudden sharp pain in his ankle, followed by a powerful tug. Pure instinct had him grip the branch, but when the bark bit into his fingers, past the gloves, Ray knew he was going down. It all happened in an instant, effortless for his assailant.

000

Kai woke with a start and looked around, not entirely sure what time it was. Judging by the heat and brightness, it must have been late morning or early afternoon. Pushing himself up, he realised that the other bed was empty. Ray was gone. It took Kai a moment to remember that he'd seen the other teen earlier, when he'd still been half asleep and quite frankly too grumpy to get up or even listen to what Ray had been saying. Something about being bored and going out. Still, shouldn't he have been back by now?

"Better go find him," Kai mused quietly to himself, as he headed out of the house and into the jungle. He walked for a while enjoying the fresh air, but still keeping his guard up until he heard a familiar sound; cursing, in Mandarin. That could only be Ray. Picking up the pace, Kai soon found the other teen sitting by a rock. "Ray," he called and rushed over, quickly noticing blood on Ray's foot.

"Ta ma de, liu mang," Ray ranted as he held his ankle tightly before looking up, "Kai?"

"No, the fucking tooth fairy," Kai retorted, kneeling down to check Ray's ankle. "What the hell happened?"

"I got pulled out that fucking tree by a tiger!" Ray responded, gesturing over to the other side of the track with one blood-covered hand, "An adult, male tiger. Completely unprovoked! His kill was somewhere down that way and nowhere in sight," Ray gestured further down the track. "So he wasn't protecting that. I'd been in the damn tree anyway for at least an hour! I was just coming down to go look at something on the track down there and he freaking grabbed me!"

Kai fought the urge to smack his head repeatedly off the nearest hard object, like the 'fucking tree' for example. Instead, he opted for putting his head in one hand. "'Be careful', I said. 'Don't do anything stupid', I told you. You're unbelievable, Ray."

"I got curious!" Ray defended. "Okay?!"

"And what did that do to the cat?" Kai asked pointedly. "You could have been killed!"

"It's broad fucking daylight! He shouldn't have done anything like that! A female with cubs I could understand, but this! It's not normal behaviour..." Ray frowned looking to the side before trying to get to his feet again. He'd already tried and failed that before Kai turned up. There were marks from the dirt on his white jacket as a visual reminder to him.

Kai chose to hold his tongue and hauled Ray up, pulling one of his arms round his neck. "Let's go back. We need to treat that before it gets any worse. Not to mention the smell of your blood will be attracting every hungry creature within a quarter mile radius at least."

"No, I wanna see what that thing down the track is," Ray responded uncooperatively.

"D'you want me to knock your lights out and throw you over my shoulder in a highly undignified manner?" Kai asked in a low growl, "Stop being awkward."

Ray stopped trying to move away and looked at Kai wondering just how serious the threat was. He looked back down the track towards the object he'd spotted from the tree. It had looked like fabric but he couldn't think of any reason why some fabric would be out in the jungle with no one about. He doubted someone would be careless enough to lose it. Add that to the attack and it didn't look good. "It might hold the answer to a worrying question," he tried persuading Kai.

Heaving a sigh of frustration, Kai left Ray to lean against another tree, then went back to retrieve the fabric. He shoved it in his pocket to look at later and returned to Ray, "Happy now?" Not wanting to annoy Kai further, Ray nodded his head. He doubted Kai would have looked for any tracks around it and chose not to ask about any, opting to cooperate without further complaint.

000

Kai helped Ray back to the bungalow and started tending to his ankle straight away muttering about how he couldn't believe Ray had got himself injured already. "I'm sorry, Kai," Ray commented after a few minutes of silence. "I wasn't trying to get hurt. Ordinarily, a tiger should have simply ignored me."

"I just want you to try and be more careful," Kai told him, cleaning round the wound gently and then examining it. "I'm going to try healing this a bit. We can't risk it getting infected."

"Okay," Ray agreed to both trying to be more careful and to Kai healing the wound.

"This is gonna hurt," Kai warned him, before deciding to pull out the piece of fabric from his pocket. He gave it to Ray to keep him distracted and placed a hand over his ankle. Warm pulses of energy started to course through from his hand and repair the damage the tiger had caused.

Ray hissed and tensed after his leg twitched in pain before focussing all his attention on the fabric. It was a piece of torn clothing with blood on it. And it wasn't Ray's blood from his or Kai's hands. "Oh my god..." he muttered as he stared at the fabric. "It makes sense now."

"What?" Kai asked quietly, a trickle of sweat running down from his forehead as he did his best to heal Ray.

"This was part of someone's clothing before it was torn off," Ray answered. "It was found on a tiger's drag trail. That's why I climbed the tree. I didn't want to suddenly come across the tiger at its kill. This isn't my blood on it. It didn't get there from being handled. I think it may have belonged to the victim of a man-eater. That would explain the unprovoked attack in broad daylight. A tiger that becomes a man-eater loses all fear of man and hunts in the day."

Kai looked up and met Ray's eyes. "You're kidding me..."

"I wish I was," Ray responded. "Damn, if Driger hadn't taken physical form and driven him off... Well, we know there's a potential man-eating tiger in the area now."

"Great..." Kai muttered, finishing up with Ray's ankle, "Just great." He winced and pulled his hand away, having done all he could for now and tentatively touched his neck. The scar from the device was throbbing in protest from Kai using his powers and stressing his body.

Ray watched him in concern, "Kai?"

Kai waved off his concern and moved away. "I'm alright..." he lied.

Ray didn't buy it but wondered about what the actual problem was. "I really messed up today, I'm sorry about that. I guess I dropped my guard when I spotted that fabric and it cost me. Thanks for helping me."

"It's fine," Kai told him, leaning one hand forward against the wall for support while the other clutched at his neck.

"Kai, what's wrong?" Ray asked, standing up to approach Kai. It still hurt but he ignored it.

Kai bit back a curse of pain and clenched his teeth. "Just my neck," he forced out. "It'll pass in a minute."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked about Kai's claim of it passing, "You don't need anything?"

The pain came again and Kai's breathing hitched. "Have we got anything cold? That tends to help."

Ray ran a mental check on everything they had brought with them. The only thing that came close was the pans for cooking. It was that or get in fresh water. That would mean going to the river. Not something either of them was in a condition for at that particular moment. Ray grabbed the lightweight metal pan and offered it to Kai with an apologetic shrug that there was nothing better. It wasn't as though packing a cool box or anything like that had been at the top of either of their lists.

Kai looked at the pan for a moment, then thought of something else and pulled out Dranzer. His blade was cold and he held that to his neck instead. "Thanks anyway," he told Ray.

"When we're around civilisation again we can pick up some gel pads or something," Ray suggested, "Just in case it happens again."

Kai nodded. "Good idea. I should have thought of it sooner. But I'm still getting used to it."

"Does it happen often?" Ray asked trying to think if he'd seen any signs at all of it in the past.

"When I push myself a bit, or when I touch it too hard," Kai replied.

"It?"

"My scar."

"From that device?" Ray asked and had to wonder if it was giving Kai problems because of permanent damage. "Have you seen anyone about it?" Ray asked though he doubted Kai had.

Kai shook his head. "I didn't want to attract any unwanted attention to myself. It should have killed me."

"I guess you were too busy when you came out of hiding too," Ray commented softly before pausing and looking up. He stood silently for several moments and then moved to the door, locking it securely and moving away again. Not even a whole minute passed before they could hear the sound of an animal moaning in pain outside, circling the bungalow. Ray looked at the blood still on his hands. "He must have followed the scent back here. It sounds like he's injured. That would explain the change in diet."

Kai stiffened, feeling his scar throb as his energy pulsed anxiously. Swallowing, he did his best to breathe silently through his nose. "What do we do?" he whispered.

"He should probably move on if he can't get in," Ray answered, "He's in pain so he'll prefer something easier to prey on." Ray moved to the back door of the bungalow, checking it was also securely locked. "When we first arrived here nobody said anything about any threats of man-eating tigers. I don't think the authorities know yet. As soon as they do they'll probably put out a reward or something for the tiger to be killed. The only problem is that they might target the wrong tiger, which could result in there being two if anything goes amiss." Ray moved to stand on some furniture to look out a small window which was high up from the ground. "He's limping on the front right," Ray commented before closing the window. "I guess we wait for him to get bored. Don't freak in a moment." Kai closed his eyes and nodded, feeling his heart pounding in his head.

Within mere moments, there was a noise from the back door as it shifted on its hinges, but fortunately held. The wood groaned as the tiger put his weight against it, but it did no more than shift slightly. The noise stopped and the moaning resumed, moving round to the other door, the one to the main room where Kai and Ray were. The previous sounds resumed as the tiger began to examine this door too. Despite his outward appearance of being calm, Ray was terrified. He'd grown up in a very similar habitat and had heard plenty of gruesome stories about man-eaters. If he was honest though, he had to admit he was more scared of a man-eating leopard than a tiger. None of that mattered though since it was a tiger currently outside the bungalow. There was a sudden bang against the door as the tiger began to lose his temper, attacking it, and Ray jumped slightly but tried to remain calm. Silence fell for several tense moments then the moaning came again, moving further away from the bungalow. When it left his range of hearing Ray gave a soft sigh of relief.

"Is he gone?" Kai whispered through grit teeth.

Ray nodded. "Yeah, he's gone," he answered.

Kai's tense form noticeably relaxed at Ray's words. "I was sure he was gonna come through the door there."

Ray laughed a little, mostly from relief, before speaking, "Me too. When we write back to the others, let's leave that out."

"Yeah. Otherwise Tala will be ordering me on the next plane home," Kai agreed with a grimace.

"Not to mention the girls," Ray commented.

"I'd still be more worried about Tala's reaction," Kai said with a smirk.

"His temper is scary," Ray commented in agreement. "Anyway, game plan. Gonna wait a little while, to make sure Old Limpy doesn't come back and then I'm gonna get some water in because we need it. The temperature's really climbing and we don't want to dehydrate. Plus it might be an idea to wash away this blood." Kai nodded, suddenly feeling kinda useless. Crippled in pain like he currently was, there was no way he could go and fetch water. He kicked at the ground in irritation. "Hey. I'm not bored anymore," Ray commented, referring to his comment in the morning which led to him leaving on his own in the first place.

"Good. Because boredom can lead to stupidity," Kai muttered, "Especially in our team's case."

"Yeah," Ray agreed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "And in my case, curiosity is just as bad." Kai gave him a pointed look, but decided not to comment. Instead, he lay back on his bed and sighed. The pain in his neck was starting to spread and move up into his head. "Are you gonna be okay?" Ray asked in concern.

"Yeah. It'll pass in a bit," Kai told him. "Sorry I'm not much use right now for anything."

"You said it happens when you push yourself too hard. It was healing me that caused it, right? You have nothing to apologise for."

Kai looked at the wall. "I don't like being dead weight," he complained.

"You're hardly dead weight," Ray commented. "You know, if you hadn't turned up I would probably still be down there and that tiger would have finished me off. And I didn't exactly make it easy for you either with all my complaining to get that bit of fabric. Not to mention the attitude. You got me back here and looked after my injury despite the stress it put on yourself. Don't you think you've done enough to earn a little rest at the very least?"

Kai lay an arm across his eyes and sighed again. "Okay. I get it." Ray shifted a little to a more comfortable position to wait for a while before deciding it was safe enough to go collect the water.

000

Ray made his way cautiously to the stream. He had shut the door to the bungalow securely when he'd left and had remained fully alert along the way. It was dangerous to be out alone when he'd already been attacked once by a tiger, which he strongly suspected to be a man-eater, but they needed to get water in so he didn't have much of a choice.

When he reached the stream, Ray checked the coast was clear before moving to fill the bucket he'd brought with him. Hearing footsteps, Ray turned his head. He'd known the footsteps belonged to people and if he counted the paces correctly there were four of them. That ruled out Kai immediately. Assuming it was some of the locals doing the same thing he was, Ray turned back to retrieve the bucket which was now filled with water, but stopped in surprise when he turned back again. Standing before him were four people he knew but hadn't expected to see; Liam, Blane, Hughie and Omar of the Panther clan. "What are you doing here?" Ray asked them. "Did you follow me?"

"It wasn't easy," Liam answered in confirmation.

"Wasn't easy? It shouldn't have been possible," Ray pointed out. "I should put a restraining order on you guys or something. This is harassment. Kitty is happy where she is and she's not even here. And Driger is my partner. He's staying with me. I'll die before I let you take him. Accept it and move on. Quit wasting my time."

"This isn't about Driger or Kitty," Hughie pointed out.

"We just want to talk to you," Liam put in.

"Well I don't want to talk to you," Ray said as he started forward to return to the bungalow he and Kai were staying in.

"Ray, we came because we need your help," Liam spoke up as Ray reached him and Ray paused. "You're the only one we can turn to."

"I was under the impression that you guys thought of me as a weak coward. What could you possibly need **my** help with?" Ray asked.

"We did think you were a weak coward," Blane responded. "But that was before we saw the last beyblade tournament."

"The tournament I lost?" Ray asked suspiciously. Why would THAT change their opinion?

"You may have lost, but that didn't change the fact that you put up a good fight," Hughie put in. "And we heard on the grape vine that you took on a Gargoyle Demon by yourself, sent him running."

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Ray asked. "There were no witnesses."

"Unlike you we don't have the demon council's protection, so we need to look out for ourselves. One of our methods is to spy on demons so that we can anticipate their attacks. We heard the demon complaining about it," Hughie explained.

"You're lucky the Phoenix was only pretending to be dead," Omar commented. "That demon was trying to round up some others to help him pay you back for it. They would have done it if they weren't so scared of Kai. Not that anyone could blame them. That guy's a fucking psycho." Ray glared at Omar, looked down at the bucket in his hand then at the smaller teen again. "Don't you dare," Omar snarled as Ray repeated this action several times, clearly debating doing something with it. "I'm warning you. There are four of us and only one of you."

"Just apologise to him and be done with it," Liam told Omar. "You know he doesn't like you badmouthing Kai."

"I'm not apologizing to him! Kai's an asshole! He IS a psycho and completely unbalanced. He-" Omar broke off with a shout of pain as the water-filled bucket collided with his head after Ray threw it at him.

"Shouldn't have done that," Blane told Ray as he caught the latter's wrist before he could move in to attack Omar further.

"Get your hands off me," Ray snapped as he tugged his arm back, delivering a punch to Blane's gut with his free one when the larger teen refused to let go. "I can take you all on," he commented as he adopted a fighting stance.

Liam stepped forward, between them with his arms out to stop both Ray and Blane. "We didn't come here to fight," Liam stated, looking between the two of them.

"Hey, he started it," Blane protested, gesturing to the bucket pointedly.

"I think after all that's happened between us and Omar's continued comments have entitled him to at least one cheap blow like that." Neither Blane nor Omar looked happy, but they accepted Liam's opinion all the same. Liam turned to Ray again, "I apologise for the behaviour of my teammates." Ray 'hmph'ed at Liam and moved to retrieve the bucket which he'd now have to refill only to have Liam beat him to it. Liam picked up the bucket and held it out to Ray who snatched it away from him watching suspiciously. "I can understand why you don't trust us," Liam told Ray placatingly.

"Go home," Ray retorted as he moved back to the stream and began to refill the bucket, looking around once again. "It's not safe here."

"Kai's not here right now and he doesn't need to know you're even talking to us," Omar pointed out. "It shouldn't bother you anyway since you're so used to jumping ship."

"Don't make me fill this bucket a third time," Ray warned him.

"You won't need to fill it if you don't throw it again," Omar pointed out. "Real mature by the way," he added sarcastically.

"Believe it or not, even Kai won't be impressed at me for that, but I don't care. You had it coming. And if you badmouth him again then I WILL kick your ass." Ray straightened up with the bucket now full again. "And by the way, I wasn't referring to Kai when I said it wasn't safe. There's a man-eating tiger in the area. I don't like you guys but I don't think even you deserve that." He began to walk past the four boys and was surprised that they did nothing to stop him.

"You haven't even heard why we need your help," Hughie jumped in. "You're the only one we can turn to because we don't have the protection of the demon council. Without a specific home, like you guys have, we're spread throughout the world. Our people have been disappearing without any trace. What's more, we know now that your clan was right all along. Letting the humans know of our existence was a bad idea. The whole mess with Voltaire showed us that. We need to find some way to avoid their attention just like you guys do. You helped Kathleen. Can't you do the same for us?"

"What?" Ray asked, "Just like that? I have no way of knowing if I can trust you and anyway I don't plan to go home yet. If you want your case pleaded then you can go to China and do it yourselves."

"As if your team would let us," Omar scoffed, only to be elbowed by Liam.

"It's not just our people, Ray," Liam told Ray calmly. "It's happening to all kinds of demon mongrels. You're away from the village and the council's protection right now. It could even happen to you. So please hear us out."

"Fine, but make it quick. There's a good chance Kai already knows that I'm talking to you and I don't like being out here right now. That tiger could be anywhere, even watching us as we speak. The sooner I get back, the better. And you shouldn't stay here neither," Ray told him.

"Like I was saying," Hughie spoke up again, "We don't want humans to notice us. But they're noticing that people are going missing. The police haven't spotted the thing that all these disappearances have in common, but when they do then they'll start looking for the rest of us. Everything will change."

"That's why the demon council passed laws against drawing attention to ourselves," Ray stated, "The very laws that led your ancestors to ditch and betray us and the reason behind the clan feud. And now you're saying you were wrong? You started all those fights with us to take Driger so that you'd have the last say in the argument. It was never even our battle in the first place. Where has it happened then?"

"England, America, Germany, France, Pola-" Hughie began to list randomly.

"France?!" Ray interrupted, alarmed. Suddenly he wanted to speak to his uncle, to make sure the man was okay.

The four boys behind him spoke in hushed tones to each other. Ray would have heard every word despite their low volume if he'd paid them any attention. Instead he was worried about the man who was like a father to him when his old man had left.

"Henry and Stanley Kon are safe," Liam spoke up when the four Panthers came to an agreement. Ray looked at him. "We had to do a lot of research on you guys," Liam offered as an explanation, "So we know about your family. Your uncle and father haven't vanished."

"You know where Hal is?" Ray asked, surprised.

"He's in France," Liam answered.

"Some sort of fight with his brother," Omar added. "We never got close enough to find out exact details."

"So what do you want me to do about this?" Ray asked.

"You can get word to the demon council," Hughie answered.

"I'll write to Lee about it. He can tell his grandfather. Tyoro can tell Fabian. We don't go to them. They come to us. That's all I can do for the moment," Ray replied.

"That's all we ask," Liam replied.

"I'm leaving now," Ray stated firmly. Liam nodded and they let Ray go without another word.

000

Reaching the bungalow again Ray entered and secured the door once more before turning to apologise to Kai for the delay, stopping himself short when he saw that the elder teen was asleep. He moved the bucket to a table and then lay on his own bed, thinking about what he'd been told.

Kai jumped awake ten minutes later and rubbed at his face, sensing Ray's presence almost immediately. "You been back long?" he asked quietly.

"Not long. Not even quarter of an hour I don't think," Ray answered. "Sleep okay?"

"I guess," Kai replied, sitting up slowly and rubbing at his neck again. At least the pain had died down. "Didn't realise I was..."

Ray smiled and then gestured to the table. "The water's there if you need any."

"Thanks," Kai replied, but made no move to get up. His hand stilled on his neck and he frowned.

"What's wrong?" Ray asked him.

Kai looked over at him. "How long were you gone for?"

"A little longer than I planned," Ray admitted. "I got distracted and spilled the water so I had to refill the bucket. Sorry. But I was on full alert for danger at all times."

Kai's eyes narrowed. He wasn't convinced. "Why do I get the feeling there's something you're not telling me?" he asked.

"Okay, I may have met someone who I don't like. And I might have thrown the bucket at one of them. But it's nothing to worry about."

"One of them?" Kai asked, slowly putting the pieces together. He sat back in realisation. "Don't tell me... The Panthers?"

"Apparently they wanted my help with something," Ray responded in confirmation. "Omar kept running his mouth though. It's enough to try the patience of a saint, so obviously I lost mine."

Kai snorted, "Help. I trust you told them where to shove it?"

"Not exactly," Ray answered, looking a little troubled.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"They claim to have changed their views, to the same opinion as ours. Not only that but it's not just them with a problem. People have been going missing all over the world, Kai. People like me. And it's getting worse."

Kai felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "...This isn't because of what Voltaire did, is it?" he asked, dreading the answer.

"I don't know. They said that Voltaire's actions showed them the truth," Ray responded. "I'm going to write to Lee about it. He'll make sure it reaches the demon council. They'll have to do something about it. Before the police figure out what's connecting these people. I guess I should have asked more questions. Sorry, Kai. I didn't like standing around out there and when they mentioned that it had happened in France too..." Ray trailed off. It was obvious his attention had slipped, costing him valuable minutes of safety to stand in one place too long. "If I see them again I'll ask more."

At the mention of France, Kai knew that Ray was worried about his uncle. "Do you want to go to France, Ray?" he asked. "I'm more than ready to make the trip if you want to."

Ray looked at Kai briefly then at a wall. "They told me he's okay. And that Hal's in France too. Having some sort of fight with my uncle. They didn't investigate the fight but I suspect it's the same as before. I don't think I should get involved in that. And I know it's not safe, but I sorta feel like I need to do something about that tiger here. I don't think it would be right to just leave the locals to suffer his reign. He's going to be killed either way, but injuries caused by man can lead to a man-eater too so if they got the wrong one they wouldn't help matters. I'm sure I could recognise him if I saw him again. Obviously I don't carry a gun and any close range combat would be suicidal, but if I give Driger a physical form again he should be able to get the job done."

"That's still a big risk," Kai pointed out. "When a bit beast takes on physical form, it puts their partner under a lot of strain."

"I know that," Ray responded. "But I can't stand by and do nothing."

"You'll need a distraction," Kai decided, "Something to use as bait so that the tiger doesn't attack you."

"Most man-eater hunters use goats as bait," Ray deadpanned.

"Yes, but a person will do in this case," Kai replied.

"And you get on MY case for taking risks," Ray commented.

Kai held up his hand. "Original Team Captain, Phoenix, older, Biovolt soldier," he listed off as reasons for his decision, indicating each with a finger.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, do as I say, not as I do, I get it," Ray responded cheekily.

"Hn," Kai grunted. "So it's decided then. I'll create a distraction while you decide the best way to tackle the situation."

"And when this is all over we never speak of it again."

"Whatever," the Russian shrugged.

"Because if Tala ever found out..." Ray left the rest unsaid. Tala's name alone was enough.

Despite his attempts, Kai couldn't completely suppress the shudder at the thought of the older Russian. He looked down as he remembered what Tala had said to him before, about him seeing Kai as a brother. "Yeah, it's best he never finds out."

"We should both rest up first. Less chance of any mishaps," Ray mused. "I'm gonna go get some thorn bushes and attach them to the doors so that if the tiger comes back it'll help prevent him rattling them again."

"I can get them if you want?" Kai offered.

"Are you sure?" Ray asked. He was concerned about Kai. The elder teen hadn't been doing too well earlier after healing Ray's ankle and Ray didn't want him pushing himself too far again.

Kai nodded and stood up. "I prefer to walk off pain."

Ray nodded. "Okay," he agreed figuring Kai would probably rather be doing something either way. "They're quite close so there's no reason to go far."

"I'll find them," Kai replied and headed out.


	7. Chapter 6

Author Note: It's been a while since our last update, we know. Phoenix has just recently returned so we're trying to get back into the swing of it now. Delays are still to be expected, but hopefully not as long. So here's your next chapter.

Phoenix normally handles the descriptions, but this time around Dragon had a good go of it.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Six

It was early the next morning when Ray woke up. It had been pretty late when he'd managed to get to sleep because the tiger had indeed shown up again. Fortunately he was put off by the thorns when he tried to investigate the doors. Remembering stories he'd heard as a child about man-eaters Ray was increasingly worried about Kai acting as bait. After all, it was such a risky position. Most of the stories he'd heard, and even read on occasion, involved the bait dying. He knew first-hand how strong the tiger was. Despite Kai healing it, Ray's ankle still hurt a little, almost as if to remind him of that fact. He considered just tracking the animal and retreating to some height, like a tall tree, but if he had to maintain Driger for too long he could pass out. Not a pleasant option, but how could that justify risking a friend's safety? "Hey, Kai? Are you really sure about this whole bait thing?" he asked after a few moments of thought as he looked outside.

"Absolutely," Kai replied without hesitation. "It's the best option."

Ray looked over at him, "You know I'm REALLY worried for your safety, right?"

"I'll be fine. Just worry about yourself and Driger. I'll handle the rest."

"Well, first thing we need to do is track him down. We can't really formulate much of a plan without knowing where he is."

"Well I'm pretty good at tracking," Kai said. "Not as good as Bryan, but I did track that rat demon for several months."

"I can track too and I had been following his drag trail before," Ray commented softly. "I may not be as sure-footed as you in the snow but I know a few things about tigers."

Kai nodded. "Then let's get him." Ray nodded his agreement.

000

The bungalow had a few separate tracks around it, all from the man-eater. After they had identified the most recent tracks leading away from the bungalow Kai and Ray set out to follow them.

The trail led them along tracks that were undoubtedly formed by people travelling between villages and Ray quietly commented to Kai that the man-eater had chosen to patrol these for his intended prey. As they followed the tracks Ray would now and again stop to look around or walk backwards for short periods of time. It was a precaution in case the man-eater began tracking them because tigers attacked their prey from behind.

The two teens reached a field of wheat which had only been half-harvested. There were some work tools lying discarded across the ground and some of the harvested crops were also lying in the dirt.

"He's taken another victim," Ray realised and soon and soon found a drag trail to confirm it. Finding a puddle of blood Ray crouched down to examine it, watching the nearby buildings out the corner of his eye. A few terrified villagers were beginning to look outside, regarding the two teenagers with curiosity. "I'll need to ask them a few questions," Ray commented to Kai as he stood up again. "Could you wait here? I've got a plan. I'll explain later."

"Alright," Kai agreed. "Just watch yourself in there." He then turned away and looked back down the track, listening and watching carefully for any sign of the tiger.

Ray approached the villagers and spoke with them. He quickly discussed something with the headman gesturing towards Kai once then nodded his head and accepted a piece of clean white cloth before returning to the Russian.

Kai glanced down at the cloth briefly before meeting Ray's eyes. "Get anything useful out of them?"

"The tiger has been here for a month. He killed nine people and injured two more, one of whom died as a result of his wounds. They've been too afraid to go far from their homes which has cut them off and led to some serious sanitary issues. The most recent victim was the headman's daughter. He asked if we were here to kill the man-eater and I answered that we are. I didn't want them to see we were practically unarmed because we could do without the questions, but that's why I needed you to wait here. They're very hospitable and eager supply anything we might need. I told them we'd see how today went first. Let's go take care of that tiger now and see what we can recover of the girl."

Kai's hand ghosted over his knife which was concealed at his hip and nodded.

000

Kai and Ray followed the tracks again and came to a ravine. The drag trail continued into the ravine, around rocks and off the track causing the trail to become more and more obscure. There were trees and bushes and long grass growing in the ravine so blundering down the trail would be nothing short of suicidal.

"He'll have eaten his fill by now and be lying up nearby. I'm going to go along here for a while and head down. I'll find the easiest route away from here and stake it out. When I'm in position I need you to perform a beat from here. Just make a huge commotion to drive Old Limpy towards me. Most beats are performed with as many people as possible but we haven't got the time to go back and gather enough people. Just try to make it seem like there are more people up here than there really are. If it all goes belly up then try to get at least twenty feet up in a tree or something." Wishing Kai luck with his task, Ray set out along the edge of the ravine.

Kai watched Ray go before looking up. "Twenty feet, huh?" he muttered, studying the surrounding trees which were towering over him. He sweat-dropped, "Great... No problem..."

Ray worked out the tiger's rough location using the tell-tale sounds of animals that witnessed the man-eater's presence and also through sense of smell. Had it not been for his heightened senses there was no Ray would have been able to track the tiger from such a distance, especially in such a manner. He was also fortunate that whatever wind entered the ravine was coming from the same direction he was heading. It was getting late in the day when Ray moved to take up his position. He decided that a tree wasn't a smart idea for two reasons; one: he didn't want to fall out of it if something happened and two: he didn't want to ruin the day's progress through being spotted by his target. He needed to wait for the man-eater to come towards him before he brought out Driger in order to save his energy.

The first sign that Kai had made his move came as a wave of heat which rushed through the forest, making all birds and insects take to the air. Next there was a deep rumbling as flames crackled in the distance and the ground quivered. Finally, as the temperature climbed higher again and the fire grew louder, an angry growl followed.

The moment he was aware of the man-eater's approach Ray brought out Driger in physical form. The two tigers clashed savagely, snarling and roaring at each other as they fought. The noise alone was terrifying and everything around them had fallen deadly silent. The surrounding plant-life was brutally flattened by the two tigers and Ray stayed low, not daring to move, and there was no question that Kai and even the villagers would hear the commotion. Driger was much larger than the man-eater but that didn't deter the furious tiger.

The fight seemed to last for hours but it was over in mere minutes with Driger breaking the man-eater's neck and tearing the throat open. Despite his victory, Driger had received his own share of injuries which added to the drain on Ray's energy so he dismissed the white tiger. In the silence that followed the fight, Ray approached the dead tiger and crouched down to examine him. The coat was a strong orange colour and in a good, healthy condition. He was more than ten feet long and his toes had splayed with age. The front right paw was swollen but Ray would need something to cut it open with to find out any more.

Ray ran his hand over the tiger's coat, contemplating the fact that this was no monster but merely an animal doing what came naturally, and stood up before crouching again when he was overcome with a wave of dizziness. While he waited for his head to clear; Ray thought about what he still needed to do. Regrouping with Kai, finding some remains of the girl and wrapping them in the cloth the headman had given him, return to the village and report the tiger's death. They'd send some people to collect the body, which they would parade through the villages that the man-eater had stalked to prove his reign of terror was over.

000

After about ten minutes, Kai finally appeared on the scene. He was pale and slightly out of breath, but clearly relieved to find Ray more or less unharmed. "Are you alright?"

"I'm tired and dizzy, but otherwise fine, you?" Ray asked, looking up from the tiger to face Kai.

Kai nodded, but seemed a little distracted. "I'm... I'm fine..." he replied.

Ray watched Kai for a moment and given the circumstances there were very few things he could suspect to cause such a reaction. He sighed and glanced at the tiger again before once more looking at his friend, "How bad?"

Kai looked down, saddened at the death of the girl, even though he had never known her. "Bad," he answered quietly, before swallowing. "...I threw up," he added, admitting it rather reluctantly. "There's not much left. An arm... A bit of a leg..." He swallowed again. "Her head..."

"I'll need to collect and wrap them for the headman. So they can cremate her. His paw is infected. Can't tell the cause without cutting it open, but I suspect he's got some porcupine quills in there," Ray commented softly, distracting himself from Kai's news so that he could steel himself up for the unpleasant task. Satisfied that his head was settled enough; Ray stood up once again, more slowly this time so as not to trigger another wave of dizziness. Looking to the sky he realised there were only a couple of hours of daylight left, so he needed to make a move. "I'm going to tell them the man-eater crossed the path of another tiger and they had a disagreement. I'm sure every village for several miles around heard all that noise. You can wait here if you want, instead of coming with me to recover the girl."

Kai shook his head and instead held out his hand. "Give me the cloth," he said. "You go back to the village and tell them what you need to. I'll collect her remains."

"Are you sure?" Ray asked. He was a little surprised that Kai would willingly go back when he'd confessed to throwing up.

"Positive," Kai nodded. _I don't want you to have to see that..._

"Okay," Ray responded, taking out the piece of cloth and handing it to Kai. "See you back at the village then?"

"Mm," Kai agreed, leaving swiftly with the cloth.

Ray made his own way back to the village memorising the route thoroughly so that he could give the villagers directions to collect the body. These he passed on to the headman, along with his story about the fight between the two tigers, and informed him that Kai was bringing back the man's daughter so that he could perform the burial rites. The headman sent out a party of men to collect the man-eater, following Ray's directions and Ray sat down to wait for Kai and closed his eyes to rest them. Realising how fortunate they were to put a stop to the man-eater so soon Ray began to doze where he sat.

It was another half hour before Kai arrived at the village, carefully delivering the girl's remains to her father. Once he had done that and paid his respects, he found Ray and stopped in front of him. "Ray?"

Ray started a little and looked up, rubbing his eye. "Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep," he mumbled before getting up. "You okay?"

Kai nodded, though his gaze didn't quite meet Ray's eyes. "Shall we head back?"

Ray nodded his head and moved to head back. He knew Kai was bothered by the whole thing, he couldn't blame Kai as it bothered him too, but there was nothing he could do. A comment on the fact that some man-eaters took years to be stopped would be in poor taste so he didn't mention that. There wasn't a lot that could be said given the circumstances. They passed the men carrying the tiger and Ray paused to watch them pass. The men were shouting and singing happily. Their enemy was dead and they were safe once more. Ray knew they would celebrate the next day too. Without a word he continued on his way.

000

On the way back to the bungalow Kai had stopped at a river to throw up again and felt rotten by the time they got inside. Seeing the girl's remains and the blood had brought back horrific memories of his own. He'd be lucky if he slept that night. But instead of complaining about it, as always, he chose to suffer in silence.

"Kai?" Ray asked as the silence wore on. He had no idea how he would continue, no idea what to say next, he was just extremely concerned for his friend.

Kai sat down heavily on his bed and rubbed at the back of his neck. "What is it, Ray?"

Ray opened his mouth but hesitated for a moment and closed it again as he thought about what to say. "Do you need anything?"

The Russian shook his head. "I'll be fine in the morning. We should try to rest."

Ray nodded his head in agreement. "It's been a long day," he mused quietly.

"How's Driger by the way?"

"He's been injured and needs to recover," Ray answered honestly.

Kai hummed thoughtfully then went into his pocket and pulled out his own beyblade. "Here," he said, holding it out to Ray. "Take Dranzer and keep him close to Driger. It should help."

Ray thanked Kai as he accepted. "So what exactly did you do for the beat?" he asked curiously.

Kai lay back on his bed, folding his arms behind his head. "Just let out a burst of energy and flames to scare the tiger in your direction," he replied simply.

Ray nodded in acceptance of this answer before having a drink of water. On account of the hunt he hadn't eaten or drank anything since breakfast and neither had Kai. Something that wasn't really wise for either of them considering Ray had lost a lot of blood the day before and Kai had been ill earlier. With these facts in mind Ray had offered Kai some water too. "I dunno about scared but he was pretty mad when he faced Driger."

Kai accepted the water and drained the cup. "Yeah, sorry," he apologised. "But I had to make sure that he went the right way and didn't escape. You know what they say about cornered animals."

Ray nodded his head and stared at the ceiling. "That fight between them was insane," he commented tiredly.

"Sorry I wasn't there to back you up," Kai said quietly. "I tried to get there quickly, but then I found the girl..."

Ray looked over at him. "You tried to be there for the fight?" he asked in surprise, unsure whether to class it as being brave or stupid.

"Of course I did," Kai told him. "I could have helped."

"You **could** hear them, right? And you wanted to get closer? I didn't dare move until it had quieted again. It was absolutely terrifying. The most dangerous animal in this jungle is a freshly wounded tiger and that's what they both were."

Kai turned his head away. "I wanted to know that you were safe," he offered quietly as an explanation.

"As much as I appreciate that; I still think you're crazy," Ray told Kai. His appreciation was sincere while the crazy comment was half in awe and half teasing. Kai turned back and flashed Ray a rare, slightly crazed grin. Ray couldn't help but laugh at that before falling quiet as he reflected on the day's events. The teamwork they'd used to bring down the man-eater and the teamwork they'd used in the past. Without it they wouldn't have stood a chance. It made Ray even more glad Kai that had brought him along. What if Kai had done this whole trip thing on his own? Ray grinned a little. "By the way, beaters are **supposed** to stay in position until the tiger is dead unless it doubles back. But then, most man-eaters are killed with guns."

Kai smirked and shrugged. "You know me. I like to be different." He stretched and yawned, feeling his back click.

"Don't do that," Ray complained before yawning himself. "It's contagious."

"Sorry," Kai mumbled, slowly starting to fall asleep. Exhausted, Ray wasn't far behind, the only sound in the bungalow being of steady, even breathing.

000

After a couple of days to recover, Kai and Ray got on with the task which had brought them to India in the first place. Setting out first thing in the morning; they spent several hours tracking their objective. They'd located the unicorn and split up to observe it from different angles.

Ray had settled himself into a tree, far enough out on the branch to use the leaves to hide his presence, but to also see past them. He was fiddling with a camera, adjusting the focus for the best possible picture when he felt a presence behind him. There was a demonic aura about them and they were standing very close to him. The branch creaked a little below him under the strain, but Ray wasn't overly concerned about it. It would hold both his and the newcomer's weight without breaking as long as they weren't there too long and Ray didn't plan to be.

"Dude, invasion of personal space," he commented without turning his head. He felt perfectly confident and unthreatened despite their presence and he also knew that if anything did go wrong then Kai would have his back in no time.

"You're being watched," Hughie said quietly for only Ray to hear, revealing his identity in the process.

"Mmhm," Ray responded uncaringly as he continued to concentrate on the task at hand.

"I don't mean by me, or the rest of the team," Hughie commented.

"I know," Ray replied quietly as he held up the camera again. He frowned as some leaves in front of him shifted, obscuring his view, so he lowered the camera to sort them out.

"You know we have people in our clan all over the world; watching demons?" Hughie asked, seeking confirmation.

"I remember you saying something along those lines, yeah," Ray answered as he tied the branch carefully. He'd be able to untie it later when he was done without it causing any lasting damage.

"Well the situation hasn't lessened any. Your dad and uncle are sti-"

"Father," Ray interrupted to correct Hughie, though he wasn't sure why he was telling the other teen. Maybe it was just because he didn't like anyone classing Hal as his 'dad'. The man was a biological relative and that was it. He didn't fit any endearing phrase such as 'dad'. "He's my father, not my dad. A dad is a father who's close to their child, my father's anything but." Ray turned his head to look at Hughie. "But Stan's still safe?"

Hughie nodded. "Yeah, he is. They won't target him because he's never alone. Or at least he's never alone long enough to be snatched."

"That's good," Ray replied in relief. "Do the disappearances have anything to do with Voltaire?"

"We don't know that yet. Anyone with that sort of information has disappeared," Hughie answered.

"And you don't know who's behind it at all?" Ray asked. Hughie shook his head and Ray turned his attention back to the unicorn. "Wonderful," he commented dryly.

"Hey, at least we HAVE info!" Omar commented, dropping onto the branch from the one above. "Not like you, just being completely clueless all the time."

"Blah, blah, blah. That's all I hear when you open your mouth, Omar," Ray commented, looking at the branch as he heard something snap. "Get off my branch."

"Your branch? I don't see your name on it," Omar scoffed.

"Are you deaf?" Ray asked; shifting to stand up as there was another sound of snapping. This one was much louder and echoed in the surrounding trees. Hughie and Omar clearly heard this one. The part of the branch that Ray was on began to dip down under his weight and he grabbed Omar's top before shoving him backwards to Hughie. The instant he had; the branch gave way with Hughie and Omar on the part still attached to the trunk while Ray went down with the rest of the branch, managing to land crouched on his feet.

Above him, there was a stunned silence before Omar burst into a fit of laughter, pointing out that the cat genes had kicked in for Ray to land on his feet. Ray rolled his eyes and shook his head in exasperation before walking away. Whether they had information or not the Panthers always seemed to show up at the worst times. Hours of hunting down the unicorn, seeking out a good viewpoint and preparing for the shoot all down the drain before he'd managed to take the photo.

Quickly identifying the locations of all demons nearby, full and semi, Ray made sure to move away from them all, ignoring Hughie's comments of staying with company, before moving to work on a second attempt at capturing the unicorn on film. He didn't want any more interruptions.

Once again Ray had to locate a good angle and make sure nothing obscured his view as well as remaining hidden for his photo. Unfortunately the noise when he had fallen out the tree had caused the unicorn to move away and so he also had to track it down again. In his frustration at these inconveniences Ray had stopped paying so much attention to the demonic auras and failed to notice one of them closing in on him. He only noticed its presence when it crashed through the overgrowth right behind him and he had to leap out of the way before it hit him.

The creature before him had an almost angelic appearance, humanoid with the addition of wings, except the feathers were brown, not white. They also had feathers on their head instead of hair and their hands and feet were clawed. Their face had a somewhat flat appearance with a pointed nose. The aura was most definitely full demon, but it wasn't a species of demon that Ray recognised. The demon had turned his head to watch Ray the instant the latter moved away and so Ray knew he'd pounced, not stumbled, from the plants. The pair watched each other for several moments, neither willing to make the first move.

The demon's eyes reminded Ray of an owl. They were a bright, bold orange colour. Ray also noticed the demon's head turning slightly, left and right, but his eyes remained locked on Ray's. The movement was very much like a bird of prey.

"Go back," Ray stated firmly, with far more confidence than he felt. He would have continued, adding a warning that he could fight demons on his own and that the Phoenix was also nearby, but there was another demonic presence behind him, approaching quickly.

Having to keep his eyes on the one in front Ray had to use his other senses to identify the one behind him and turned his head when he realised that it wasn't Kai or the Panthers. The demon in front moved suddenly the instant Ray started to turn his head and Ray faced him again only to lose sight of him when something was suddenly over his head. It seemed to be a sack and had come from behind. The one behind him also knocked Ray down as they did this, restraining him and Ray promptly kicked up a huge fuss, struggling and shouting.

The one pinning him tried to hush Ray and assured him that they weren't going to harm him but if Ray heard him over the noise he was making himself then he gave no indication. If he couldn't get out of this on his own then he wanted Kai there. He didn't doubt that Kai was on his way. Ray knew that Kai would have sensed their proximity to him and would have checked on Ray like he'd done before back with the gargoyle. Unlike with the gargoyle Ray did not have this situation under control.

Even knowing it would be a strain on him Ray promptly summoned Driger into a physical form. He found himself being released and used the opportunity to get free of the sack and back on his feet, but instantly found himself grabbed round the neck. The pressure wasn't directed to his airway and he realised immediately that they were aiming for a blood choke. Ray elbowed his assailant but it held no effect so he tried reach back in order to throw them. They shifted in a manner which still held pressure on the carotid arteries but prevented him from being able to grip them and Ray passed out before he could try anything else.

000

Martin lowered the half-demon to the ground gently and looked at Tom and Grant. The white tiger they'd been facing had vanished almost as soon as their target lost consciousness. "See how quick and easy that was?" he told the pair of them irritably. "There was absolutely no cause to allow him to make so much noise. We need to leave now. Get him restrained and in the sack so we don't attract any more attention along the way and get him through the gate."

Tom and Grant nodded their heads in agreement before approaching Ray, but they and Martin were all suddenly blown back by a burst of energy. The energy remained visible, purple and glowing in a crackling ball before it changed shape, becoming a figure. The crackling energy faded as the figure took form. This figure was completely humanoid but had pale skin with a purple tint to it. "I knew it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed," he announced to the three demons.

"Fabian," Tom gasped quietly.

"It was a foolish mistake to attack any member of the White Tiger clan, let alone one that I have specifically kept my eye on," Fabian continued as several more balls of crackling, purple energy appeared around the three of them. "You and your people have been causing a great deal of disturbance and it has to stop. You're endangering our kind and theirs."

"We're doing it to protect the half-casts. Several species of demons are hunting them down on a regular basis and killing them," Grant argued. "We're taking them somewhere safe!"

"You're kidnapping them and causing a panic," Fabian corrected him as the other energy balls became more demons of his own species. "And you're drawing the attention of the human authorities. This is a direct violation of our laws. Your reasoning makes no difference except to show contempt." Fabian nodded to his own kind and they moved to restrain the three demons. "You're under arrest and will face trial. There have been enough security problems the last few years without you adding to them."

"You're letting the half-casts be hunted down!" Martin protested as he and his companions were dragged away. "You can't do this! They'll go extinct if you don't take action!"

Fabian ignored Martin's outburst, pulling up his hood to hide his face, lest any humans came by while he waited for Ray to recover. A few of his squad remained behind and did the same.

Another presence suddenly made itself known to them as a wave of hot, angry energy rushed past from somewhere through the undergrowth. Surrounding plants began to shrivel and dry up as the moisture was literally sucked from them, evaporating and creating a light mist.

Kai stepped into view a moment later, his narrowed eyes stained blood red in a warning glare. He saw Ray on the ground and a low growl rumbled from his chest.

"He'll be alright when he wakes up," Fabian told Kai calmly.

Kai looked at him and his anger seemed to subside a little, but he didn't drop his guard. "So you're the one I sensed..." he mused quietly. "What are you doing here?"

"Dealing with some demons who were breaking our laws," Fabian answered.

Kai snorted. "If that's your job then where were you when I needed help?"

"At the time of your disappearance," Fabian responded, "We were dealing with other demons. We were too late to help you and completely lost your trail."

"Hn. And if I'd died? I nearly did."

"We thought you had when your trail disappeared."

Kai approached Ray and knelt down to check him over. "Whatever," he scoffed at Fabian. Ray shifted, groaning a little, as he started to come round and Fabian watched quietly. "Come on, Ray," Kai coaxed gently, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Wake up. You're alright."

When Ray opened his eyes he took a moment to regain his bearings before sitting up with a gasp, "Kai! You're here! What happened? Where did they go?" he asked, looking around before spotting the hooded figure. "Fabian?"

"Relax," Kai told him. "They're gone. Fabian's little squad here have taken them away." Kai didn't even bother to look up at Fabian, instead focusing all his attention on Ray. "Are you hurt?"

"No, no I don't think so..." Ray murmured, reaching up to touch his neck. "It was a sleeper hold... I'm okay, just a bit dizzy," he finished with more certainty.

Kai let out a relieved breath. "Ok then. Take it easy. Don't get up until it passes." The Russian then stood up and spun round abruptly to face Fabian. "You were here all along and you didn't help him!" he accused, pointing at the larger demon. "Just how far were you prepared to risk his safety before deciding to step in?! You could have prevented all of this!"

"To begin with we weren't actually on this plain. Then we had to secure their gate before we could step in," Fabian told Kai.

"Plain?" Ray asked, the words clicking to answer a question he had always wondered. Why no one from his village could contact the demon council. Why they always had to wait for the demon council to come to them. "So that's why..."

Kai continued to glare at Fabian. His fists slowly curled into fists at his sides. As far as he concerned that wasn't a good enough excuse. But Kai couldn't see past it. He just felt anger. And pain. It was getting worse to the point where he was struggling to hide it. But the anger was building up too. What was going on?

"You're both going to have to come with us," Fabian announced, unfazed by the glare.

"Give me one good reason why we should," Kai snarled. He grit his teeth as his vision suddenly turned double.

"I'll give you two reasons," Fabian replied, "One; you're becoming unstable and it needs to be dealt with and two; the council have a number of questions about the change in Ray."

"I'm not unstable..." Kai forced out. "I'm fine... Who are you to tell me," Kai winced and his breathing hitched, "what to do?"

"Kai," Ray gasped, moving to stand up immediately. "Are you okay?"

Kai closed his eyes tightly and his hand reached out blindly, catching Ray's shoulder and gripping it as a wave of pain passed through his body. "I don't... know what's going on," he mumbled. "Shit..."

"This is why you have to come with us," Fabian told Kai.

Kai didn't hear him; too busy focussing on his uneven breathing. It was like every cell in his body was screaming in agony. But the pain in his back and neck was the worst. He dropped his head forward, barely holding back a moan of pain and felt a trickle of sweat run from the back of his neck and down to his throat.

Remembering the state Kai was in after healing him; Ray glanced at the older teen's neck and gasped. "Kai, you're bleeding! What happened to you?" he asked in alarm, believing Kai had met with trouble along the way to reach him.

Kai forced his eyes open and peered at Ray. "What? ...Nothing..." Another wave of pain rushed through him and Kai let out a sharp gasp. Why wouldn't the pain stop? Was he really bleeding?

"We should leave now," Fabian announced as Ray watched Kai in growing concern.

"...Ray," Kai mumbled weakly. "It won't stop..."

"Kai..." Ray murmured, unsure what to do. He wanted to help Kai. The Russian would help him. As this thought crossed his mind, Ray suddenly remembered that Kai had helped him before by passing energy through to him and wondered if it would work both ways. The circumstances were different, but if there was a chance then it had to be worth trying. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to; but he tried anyway, focussing on the link and sending energy through it.

After a tense moment, Kai's breathing slowly started to calm down. His hand on Ray's shoulder closed loosely around the edge of his sleeve and everybody felt Kai's power levels drop back down.

"Are you okay now?" Ray asked him.

Kai swallowed and leaned a little more on Ray. "... I feel really weak," he replied quietly. "But the pain is fading."

"We can help with that," Fabian told Kai, beckoning the two teens to accompany him.

Kai looked up at him, his earlier anger gone, before glancing back at Ray. **_Can you help me?_** he asked through their link. Ray nodded once with an affirmative sound in his throat before moving to support Kai. **_Thanks..._** Kai looked back at Fabian. "Okay. You win."

Fabian nodded then he and the few demons who had remained behind led Kai and Ray to the gate, which was a portal of energy. "This gate will lead directly to the Demon Council's meeting halls. You, Kai, will be given the ability to return at will, being full-demon. This will be the first time a half-cast is brought into our halls."

Kai nodded, "Alright. But I'm staying with Ray." Fabian nodded and gestured for them to enter. Kai straightened up as best he could next to Ray. "Here we go," he said and they stepped through together.

The sensation as they stepped through was very much like the one caused by going over something like a small arched bridge in a vehicle.

They found themselves in a large chamber which held several desks. Each desk had something going on at it, whether it was a quiet discussion or a heated argument, but everything stopped and all heads turned to regard them curiously.

When Fabian and his people had followed them through; the gate closed. Kai felt himself tense up at all the attention and a quiet growl crept up his throat. "Kai, don't," Ray whispered, feeling rather intimidated by the situation but not wanting Kai to risk provoking any of them. Kai remained tense, but he was clearly listening to Ray because the growling stopped. His red eyes darted around, taking in every detail he could see.

"Many of them have never seen a half-cast before," Fabian offered as an explanation before gesturing to a door to their left. "Through there," he instructed.

**_We need to make sure we stick together_**, Kai conversed with Ray as they followed Fabian.

Ray nodded, glancing around before stopping abruptly with a gasp as he recognised two demons being led by others along with a third one of their species. He recognised the two of them as his attackers and had to assume the third one was the one who'd knocked him out.

"Tytos," Fabian told Ray before facing one of the guards. "How did it go?"

"We've managed to gather information of where they're keeping the half-casts and we're going to prepare the rescue," the guard answered. Fabian nodded and they continued to lead the three prisoners away.

"Demons turning on demons..." Kai commented quietly. He frowned. "This is all Voltaire's fault."

"There are criminals in our world just as much as there are ones in the human world," Fabian responded. "The situation began long before Voltaire's time. It did increase with Voltaire's presence, but hopefully it will die down again now to some extent with him gone. They claim to be rescuing the half-casts when they kidnap them."

"...I want to help," Kai decided suddenly.

Fabian looked at Kai in surprise before glancing at Ray briefly, making a quiet guess at Kai's reasons. "We hoped you would," he informed Kai.

Kai nodded. "I might as well put my power to good use. Even if I only make a slight difference, at least it's something."

"We need to do something about that injury first," Fabian replied, gesturing for them to continue down the corridor.

Kai nodded, "If you can. Even I can't heal it."

Fabian led them to a room at the end of the corridor and opened the door for them. "This is our supreme healer," Fabian informed Kai, gesturing to a demon in the room. "He'll take a look at you and do what he can." He then turned to Ray, "I'd like you to come and sit over here so I can examine you again." Kai looked over at the other demon and hesitated, hitting the brakes. The idea of a complete stranger checking such a sensitive injury didn't sit well with him. And being separated from Ray made it worse. "Kai?" Fabian asked, concerned by his behaviour.

Not wanting to say anything, Kai once again turned to his link with Ray. **_I dunno about this... The pain just went away. How can we trust these guys?_**

Ray had never tried to respond mentally to Kai but decided it was worth trying. This was a sensitive issue and it wouldn't do to voice it in front of others. **_The Demon Council have protected my clan for generations and I don't feel we're in any danger here_**, he mused, focussing his thoughts towards Kai.

Kai felt a bit of comfort when he heard Ray's words in his head, but was still hesitant. **_I'm the grandson of a human who's caused a lot of problems lately. What if they hold a grudge against me for that?_**

Ray shook his head. **_They accepted Kathleen despite her clan's actions in the past. They judge people on who they are now. Not on who they were or who they're related to._**

**_I hope you're right..._** Kai replied through the link. **_I'm not in the mood for making new enemies._**

Ray looked over to where Fabian had asked him to sit and then at Kai again. **_It's the same room and I won't be far,_** he pointed out to further put Kai's mind at ease.

Kai let out a quiet sigh and nodded once. **_Alright._**

**_It'll be okay,_** Ray told him before turning back to Fabian who had watched the silent exchange between them with some fascination. There was no way for him to know what was said but he did know they'd been communicating.

Kai also looked back at Fabian. "I'm fine," he told the older demon. "Let's see if your supreme healer can help me then." Fabian nodded, gesturing to the other demon for Kai to go over to them and led Ray over to a seat in the corner.

"You have no need to worry," the healer told Kai as he gestured for him to sit down on a cushioned bench. "I am T'rok and while you are under my care, you are perfectly safe."

Kai sat down quietly and looked up at T'rok. The demon was tall and skinny, with a hunch in the top of his spine. Kai had no idea how old he was, but he looked like he could easily be in his hundreds. Long bony fingers splayed out slowly in silent request for Kai to remove his clothes and the Russian reluctantly stripped to the waist.

T'rok shuffled round to stand behind Kai and leaned down low to inspect the wound. The mark had stopped bleeding but looked incredibly tender. The zigzag pattern that Ray had seen before had spread further down Kai's spine, reaching to the bottom of his shoulder blades.

T'rok clicked his tongue and looked up at Fabian, his dark green eyes serious. "This will take multiple healing sessions and a soak in the sacred waters of the cavern. Please arrange for that, or his condition will deteriorate and his power will flare out of control."

Fabian nodded his head, confirming that he would do so, whilst keeping his eyes closed in concentration as he rested a hand on top of Ray's head. "Curious," he commented as he shifted away, finished with his examination, "Very curious."

"What?" Ray asked as Fabian turned towards T'rok again.

"I'll arrange for that right now," he informed the healer.

"Is there something wrong?" Ray asked Fabian of his reaction.

Fabian glanced at Ray. "No. There's nothing wrong, just unusual. I've never seen anything like it. The last time I examined you, you were closer to being half-demon than the rest of your clan and now you actually are half and half, maybe even a little more."

"You're saying I'm becoming more demon?" Ray asked, tilting his head slightly.

"It would appear so," Fabian confirmed before excusing himself to take care of T'rok's request.

Kai looked over at Ray as T'rok busied himself with cleaning away the blood. **_Did I just hear right?_**

**_That I appear to becoming more demon?_** Ray asked, returning Kai's gaze.

**_Mm,_** Kai acknowledged. **_Is that because of me?_**

**_I really don't know, Kai,_** Ray responded, moving closer but being sure to stay out of T'rok's way.

Kai looked away. **_Are you mad...?_**

**_No, I'm not mad, just confused. I've never heard of anything like this before. I'm wondering what it means. But it doesn't seem like even Fabian has the answers this time,_** Ray answered.

Kai inclined his head ever so slightly in a nod then suddenly tensed up. His eyes widened in shock and his jaw tightened as T'rok accidentally touched a particularly sensitive part of his neck. There was a jar of healing herbs sitting nearby which suddenly ignited inside their jar, and then exploded. The flames faded away to nothing seconds later.

"Oh my," T'rok commented. "You really are sensitive there."

"Sorry," Kai apologised quickly, but T'rok just waved calmly.

"It's just a jar and a few herbs. They can be replaced."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Ray asked.

T'rok was once again focussing on Kai's back and neck, but still nodded to Ray. "You can accompany him and make sure this is thoroughly cleaned."

Ray nodded his agreement before giving a vocal response then focussed on Kai again. **_Are you okay?_**

Kai hissed quietly through his teeth as T'rok applied some kind of lotion to his neck. **_Soldiering on,_** he replied.

"This will slow your energy flow and help it heal," T'rok explained for both of them to hear. "It will also make you tired, so I suggest sleep after you bathe."

**_I don't have time to sleep though..._**

**_Kai, please do as he says. He's trying to help you. You need to let it recover or it's not going to get better,_** Ray insisted.

A low grumble of reluctance passed through the connection, "Very well. I'll try to sleep," Kai voiced. Ray responded with a deep sense of relief and thanked Kai, turning his head towards the door a few moments before Fabian returned. His heightened senses had allowed him to hear the demon's approach more quickly. It was impossible to make much sense of demon auras because there were so many.

T'rok looked up at Fabian expectantly. "Well?"

"It's all been arranged for," Fabian told him before turning to Kai and Ray, "As well as somewhere safe for you both to rest. You'll need to stay here until you've recovered, Kai."

Kai blinked. "Is that really alright?"

"Of course," Fabian answered. "I've also sent someone to watch your things in the human world."

Kai glanced at Ray. "So, we can both stay? I'd rather Ray and I weren't separated."

"Yes, we don't normally have half-casts here, but an exception has been made for Ray," Fabian answered.

Kai nodded. "Then as long as everyone realises and understands that, you have my full cooperation."

"Of course," Fabian agreed.

T'rok moved away from Kai with a small pouch and held it out in a bony hand for Ray to take. "As his trusted companion, I will ask you to apply this powder to his wound while you bathe. It will help with the pain." Ray nodded as he accepted the pouch, thanking the healer for his help. With his job completed for the time being, T'rok gave Kai permission to go and left him with Fabian and Ray. Fabian led the two teens to a cavern where the sacred waters were located, assuring he would return shortly when he'd taken care of some other matters.

000

Once they were alone and he had changed, wrapping a bathing towel round his waist, Kai stepped down carefully into the water and let the warmth soak into him. He sighed and tried to relax. "So, what d'you think of all this?" he asked Ray.

"I always wondered why we could never find them. I knew it had to be somewhere hard to reach, but this? It all makes so much sense now. But it is a lot to take in," Ray answered thoughtfully. He was still trying to get his head around what Fabian had told him. It had taken over a year to for him to become 'closer to half-demon than the rest of his clan' and now suddenly, within a few months, he was possibly more demon than human. Why? Why was it happening and why had the speed of it seemed to increase? Would he become full demon? Or would it stop? What did it all mean? "I have to say I'm quite curious about this place and its people," he commented, not wanting Kai to worry about what Fabian had said. Ray had an idea that Kai felt guilty about it and he didn't want to add to that guilt.

Kai nodded. "The way they just appeared has me curious. D'you think they maybe have other gates leading to different places in our world?"

"It would make sense," Ray replied.

Kai hummed thoughtfully. "Certainly beats plane journeys. We should check this place out more." Ray nodded in amused agreement. Kai glanced over at him. "I wonder what your elders will have to say about this when they find out. That you've been here and your current circumstances."

Ray looked at Kai, a little startled before turning thoughtful. How would they take the news? He remembered Tao's words about the change being Kai's gift. "I'm sure they'll view it as good news," he decided with a smile.

There was a moment of silence that passed between them, interrupted only by the gentle slosh of water as Kai lifted a hand and touched his neck. "... Are you scared?" he asked quietly.

Ray looked at Kai again, surprised. "Mm," he confirmed. "Because of your change?" he asked, guessing the reason Kai could tell he was afraid despite his efforts to hide it.

Kai nodded. "I hope you can forgive me if anything goes wrong because of this. I didn't know my power would affect you like it has."

Ray looked at Kai for a moment then looked up thoughtfully. "I'm better at tracking than I used to be, I can keep going after dark when the other members of my clan can't. And I was able to fight a gargoyle on my own. When we thought you were dead; Tao said that this was your gift to me." Ray faced Kai again, "So there's nothing to forgive."

Kai thought about Ray's words and offered a small smile as thanks, hearing that made him feel better. He just hoped it would stay that way. "He said that, huh?"

"Yeah," Ray confirmed with a nod before looking at the pouch T'rok had given him. He considered a little teasing, like saying he hoped it wasn't like cayenne pepper, or something along those lines, but decided against it.

Kai regarded the pouch for a moment and curled his lip. "Does he really expect some powder and water to fix me up?" he asked about T'rok. "Even my own energy can't do that."

"Fabian said that T'rok was their supreme healer," Ray pointed out. "That means he specialises in it." He couldn't resist a taunt any longer and smirked a little. "Anyway, you didn't think cayenne pepper could stop bleeding but look how that went." Kai grunted and looked away, then waited a moment before sending a wave of water at Ray with his arm. "What is your obsession with trying to soak me?" Ray asked him in response.

Kai smirked and shrugged. "It's funny," he replied simply.

"Well jokes and games aside, we should really get on with taking care of that wound," Ray commented seriously.

Kai grumbled something under his breath. "Fine. If you say so."

"Well it is what we're in here for," Ray pointed out with a shrug.

Kai nodded and moved closer to Ray, then turned his back. Reaching up, he pulled his hair away from his neck. "Let's get this over with." Ray nodded, moving to apply the powder. Kai sat still to let Ray work. "I wonder what Tao would say if he saw this place," he mused thoughtfully.

"He'd probably compare it to a hive," Ray commented.

Kai rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Him and his bloody bees," he muttered. He glanced back over his shoulder. "Are you applying that stuff right?"

"It's easier when you're staying still," Ray pointed out, "But yeah, I am. And I'm just about finished. Why?"

Kai seemed a little surprised. "I was wondering because it doesn't hurt. I expected it to."

"Well, T'rok said it would help with the pain," Ray mused. "There, done."

"I know. But usually things like that hurt. Like your cayenne pepper for instance." He turned back to Ray and thanked him.

"You're welcome," Ray responded. Fabian soon returned to collect them and show them to their room, which was just as well because Kai had grown tired just as T'rok had predicted.

The room was comfortable with a large fireplace in the back wall, directly opposite the entrance, with a fire burning merrily in it and giving off a warm glow to the entire room. The floor, walls and ceiling were made of stone, with intricate carvings in areas of the wall and the furniture was made of a sturdy, yet stylish kind of wood which they couldn't identify, presumably because it wasn't one which grew in their realm. There were two beds in the room, one at either side of the room, a sofa in front and a table were in front of the fireplace. The mattresses on the beds were firm, but comfortable and the linen was smooth to the touch while the pillows were stuffed with feathers. To the right of the room, near the back wall, was a door leading to an en suite bathroom, the facilities in which were high class. All in all, it was very welcoming and it didn't take long for them to fall asleep.


	8. Chapter 7

Author Note: We now have a facebook page. h,t,t,p,:,/,/,www.,facebook.,com/Dragon.,and.,Phoenix.,11 - just remove the commas.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Seven

Ray awoke the next morning feeling well-rested and after a morning shower he decided to go and take a look around. He was curious about the demons here and the place itself. Sensing movement, Kai lifted his heavy head from his pillow, blinking through his bangs at Ray. "Where're you goin'?" he asked sleepily.

"To take a look around," Ray answered.

Grumbling, Kai pushed himself up into an unsteady sitting position. "Wait," he said quietly. "I'll come with you..."

"Go ahead and sleep if you're tired. Make the most of it."

Kai glanced back at his pillow. It looked so tempting. But at the same time he didn't like the idea of him and Ray being separated. At least not until they both knew more about where they were. "I dunno..."

"Kai, it's totally fine. Relax. Take it easy."

Knowing that he should really continue the argument, but feeling way too tired to actually do so, Kai gave in. "...Alright. Just be careful." He lay back down and got comfortable, eyes drooping instantly. "There's still a chance of...danger..."

"I'll be fine, don't worry so much."

"Mm... I always worry..."

"Well you shouldn't because it's bad for you."

"...Plenty of reasons to..." Kai breathed, before actually falling asleep. Ray rolled his eyes a little, muttering something to the effect of worrywart under his breath with a shake of his head before slipping out of the room to go and explore.

000

After a couple of minutes of quietly wandering down the large, impressive, hallway, the light sound of gentle padding reached Ray's ears, following him from behind. Ray turned and looked down to see a cat. It was short-haired and had blue eyes. Areas of the body were very light; white with a slight smoky effect. There were slightly darker markings along the back and chest while the face, tail and front legs had very tabby-like markings. All the paws were white. A perfectly normal cat, considering they were in a realm of demons. "Hello," Ray greeted, crouching down and holding out his hand for the cat to investigate. The cat sniffed Ray's hand for a moment before stepping forward and rubbing its head against his fingers, closing its eyes and purring.

"Ah," a voice spoke. "I see you have met Quinn." It was T'rok, passing by with a couple of scrolls tucked under his bony arm.

"Quinn huh?" Ray asked, glancing up at the elderly demon. "That's a pretty cool name," he commented, scratching the cat around the ears.

"Yes," T'rok nodded, watching as Quinn turned his head against Ray's hand. "He is known as 'The Mighty Quinn'. One day he followed Fabian back through the portal to our world and has been here ever since." He chuckled quietly. "He's worked wonders with the pesky fairy mice infestation we had a while back."

"Fairy mice?" Ray asked curiously.

T'rok nodded, "Very similar to mice from the human world. Only with wings."

"I'll bet they're a real nuisance," Ray commented. "Do you need any help?" he asked, gesturing to the scrolls T'rok was holding.

T'rok smiled; his wrinkled skin stretching. "I'm just heading to the library to return these. You're more than welcome to accompany me if you wish. It's the perfect place to find answers to any questions you may have about this world."

"Am I that obvious?"

"You're new here. It's understandable for you to have questions." T'rok nodded, "That and I know an inquisitive child when I see one."

Ray grinned in amusement. "I guess it's just in my nature, but it bugs Kai a lot since it sometimes gets me into trouble."

"There is a fine line," T'rok agreed, continuing on towards the library. Quinn brushed himself against Ray's hand once more before following the old demon, carrying his tail high. Ray also followed after T'rok, quite keen to see the library and learn more.

000

The library was massive, with the walls filled from floor to ceiling with every kind of book imaginable. Tall ladders were set on rollers on the floor for easier access and the centre of the room was occupied by a large spiral staircase which led up to another floor. The smell of old, well matured books filled the air, along with the fresh smell of wood for burning in the fire that occupied one wall. Cushioned chairs were dotted around where required, as well as two large mahogany tables, equipped with reading lamps.

"Feel free to look around," T'rok told Ray as they stepped in. "And if you get lost, just ask one of the book elves. They're always around somewhere."

"This is amazing," Ray breathed before moving to look at the different books. He really was spoiled for choice but he selected one and moved to chair to read it, choosing a seat which would allow him to feel the warm glow from the fire. Being so comfortable allowed him to get lost in its pages in no time. Around him, the library bustled on quietly with activity. The small book elves that T'rok had mentioned marched past like ants, carrying books back to their rightful places. Quinn settled quietly near the fire and dozed while T'rok climbed one of the ladders to select more material.

000

Kai wandered into the library a while later, still a little fuzzy from sleep, and walked over to join Ray and see what he was up to. Ray was so absorbed in the book that it took him a moment longer than normal to notice Kai's presence, but he looked up when he did. "Hey, feeling better?" he asked quietly.

Kai nodded in mid yawn and sat down on a chair across from Ray. "How long you been in here?"

"Um, not sure. A while. I met Quinn just after I left the room and then T'rok showed me here. Haven't left since. Been reading about demons. Turns out that the Phoenix isn't the only kind of demon that starts out human, but the Phoenix is the most natural occurring one. Some humans can choose to become demon and then perform certain rites to achieve that. They're often unstable though and so the demon council tend to pull them out of our world and into this one."

"Wow," Kai commented. "I was hoping there'd be some information on the Phoenix. I'd welcome anything right about now."

"It doesn't say much about that, at least not as far as I've read. Just that it's actually a family trait present at birth. Other transformations tend to be a bit forced. It does mention that their abilities vary widely from one Phoenix to the next, which is why they're not really listed. It also says in this book that some demons can turn humans into demons. And it says in here that half casts are stable enough to not cause issues in the human realm, provided they have a human appearance, which for some reason they normally do, but there's nothing about them changing."

Kai hummed thoughtfully. "Well, maybe that's because of me then. One of my 'quirks' if you will, as the Phoenix."

"Maybe," Ray agreed before going on, "It mentions some pretty horrific things in here about forced transformations. Things go wrong with it really easily and so the demon council have tried to clamp down on it, but they can't be everywhere at once. More often than not they aren't aware of it until after the transformation has started and by that point it's too late to do anything about it. A lot of the people don't even survive it. Some of them seem like they might but then they have some problem and don't make it."

Reaching over, Kai closed the book and took it from Ray. "I think you've read enough of that," he told him quietly.

"What? Why?"

"Because you're going to start freaking yourself out if you keep reading," Kai replied. Ray was about to protest and claim that he wanted to know more, but he cut himself off knowing that Kai wouldn't be in the least bit swayed by his curiosity, especially since it sometimes got him into trouble. Instead, his gaze swept over to the other books in the library. Kai also glanced around the huge room. "This place... It's like something out of a movie."

"The demon council's facility is actually about the size of a city, so they need a lot of books to hold all that information. And that's not even beginning to touch the other areas of this realm," Ray informed him. Kai let out a low whistle, struggling to take in the scale of the place. It was a lot to process so suddenly. "It's one of the things mentioned in that book," Ray stated, gesturing to the book Kai had taken from him before standing up.

"Hn," Kai replied, keeping a firm hold on the book. "Good for it. So, what do we do now?"

"We're going to be here a while, until your neck is healed. Right now I'm gonna grab another book to read. Oh, have you met Quinn?" Ray asked Kai and nodded towards the cat. "According to T'rok, he followed Fabian here through a portal one day."

"Quinn?" Kai asked, looking down and spotting the feline. Quinn gazed back with his intense blue eyes for a moment, before trotting over. Kai smiled as he knelt down to stroke him. "He's lovely," the Russian mused. Enjoying the attention, Quinn lay down and rolled over. Kai blinked when he noticed a scar on one of the cat's front paws. "No way..." His eyes widened. "It IS you!"

"You know him?" Ray asked, surprised.

Kai glanced up at Ray and nodded, looking absolutely astounded. "He used to wander around the streets in Moscow. Not long after we won the championships I found him with a piece of glass in his paw. I took him to the vet and he was treated for it. He stayed with me for a little while. Then one day, he just wasn't around anymore."

Ray had to guess Kai had assumed the worst, he would have too. "What are the chances?" Ray commented softly.

Kai shook his head. He honestly couldn't believe it. But it was great to know that, after so long, the cat was okay. "Unbelievable."

"Well, according to T'rok, he's made himself at home here hunting fairy mice. I haven't seen any of them but T'rok says they're like our mice only with wings."

Kai chuckled. "Probably a lot better than stinking Moscow rats," he mused, scratching Quinn's head as the cat had rolled off his back.

"Mice tend not to be as bad as rats except when they're in large numbers, like a blanket of mice just covering the ground, which isn't an exaggeration," Ray commented, moving away to look through the bookcases again while Kai was occupied with the cat.

"I've never seen that many," Kai told him, watching as Quinn stood up and trotted away. Kai sighed and stared into the fire. Ray browsed through several books, reading some of their content where he stood before putting them back until he found one to settle on, which he doubted Kai would confiscate from him, and headed back to the chairs near the fire.

000

Two weeks passed before T'rok gave Kai a clean bill of health. The wound on his neck had healed nicely, leaving just a dull scar behind. And now that he was better, Kai was eager to get back to the human world. "So what's the plan now?" Ray asked Kai.

"Well, I'd like to go back, if that's okay," Kai replied. "So I guess we should speak with Fabian about how to do that."

Ray nodded, "I mean are we gonna pick up our little hunt, since we found out about that unicorn," he commented referring to them being told, during those two weeks, that it hadn't been a unicorn but a shape-shifting demon.

Kai nodded. "We could for a bit and then maybe move on somewhere else."

"Well, would it be alright to head to France? Unless you have other plans, I mean," Ray asked and quickly amended. "I mean, I know he's okay, I've been told by more than one person, and it's probably silly but I just want to see him for myself..."

"Your uncle Stan?" Kai asked, "Of course. I was actually gonna suggest that."

Ray smiled a little. "You did ask before, but I didn't want to leave without dealing with that tiger," he reminded Kai. "Thanks, Kai. I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Let's go find Fabian and get out of here," Kai responded. Ray nodded his agreement and they headed off to find Fabian who then taught Kai to use the portal before letting them be on their way. Ray thanked the demon for his hospitality before they parted ways and when they returned to the cabin they found their things had been looked after just as they'd been told. Glad that everything was still okay, Kai suggested they go out on one last search for a unicorn, in hopes of getting a picture of it for Hilary.

Ray agreed and they set out. Ray didn't have very high hopes on sighting one, considering how long it had taken them to track a fake, but he still made every effort in order to succeed. They kept at the search even through the hottest part of the day and when the evening arrived with little daylight left there was nothing for it but to call it quits. Filled with disappointment the boys started back for the cabin.

They passed through an area where they could see an open grassy patch giving them reason to stop. A bit of a distance from them, and looking away, was the very creature they'd come looking for. They'd taken this route simply by chance and it was fortunate that they had. There wasn't much time left so they were limited with the picture, having to take one from where they were. There would be no starting over this time.

Kai was thrilled that they'd finally succeeded, especially considering they thought they had failed. Now he could go back and give Hilary a copy of the picture. He couldn't wait to see her reaction. He couldn't wait to see her, whenever that would be. They managed to take a couple of pictures each, which would allow them to select the best, before the unicorn moved away and they returned to the bungalow in much higher spirits than they had been.

"Lucky break, huh?" Ray commented to Kai as they returned to the cabin.

Kai couldn't stop the smile, "Definitely. Hilary will love it."

"For a moment when we first saw it I couldn't believe it was there. I thought I was seeing things, but you were looking at it too so that ruled that out."

"And this is just the beginning," Kai added. "Who knows what we'll encounter next."

"Yeah," Ray agreed. It was an exciting prospect and he was keen to see more, but there was some degree of acting involved with his upbeat appearance which he didn't drop until after they'd turned in for the night. He was worried about his uncle for one thing, which he could understand, but why was he now wondering about the Panthers and hoping they were alright? Where were they now? Had they run into any of those demons? He also wondered what Lee would say if he found out that Ray was worrying about people they pretty much saw as the enemy, especially after what Omar had said to him when he'd been down believing Kai was dead. If they had been attacked by demons a fortnight ago then Ray would feel responsible for them. On top of that he also still wondered about the transformations.

Over the two weeks in the demon realm he'd been back to the library several times to continue reading whenever Kai wasn't looking. He couldn't understand why there was nothing mentioned there about half-casts. In actual fact, he found very little information on half-casts in general. There was more information on humans than half-casts, which didn't make any sense. Half-casts were part demon and the demon council weren't ashamed of them or they wouldn't be protected. So why was there so little information on them?

After an hour, Kai rolled over in his bed and looked across the room towards Ray. "You alright?" he asked tiredly.

Ray started slightly, disturbed from his thoughts, and looked back at Kai, "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?"

Kai shrugged, though the gesture was mostly lost in the dark. "You seem distracted earlier," he offered. "And you've been quiet."

Ray frowned a little upon learning that Kai hadn't been thrown off but then smiled a little, knowing it could affect his voice and wanting to seem like everything was fine, "Just thinking. A lot's happened," he offered.

"Uh-huh," Kai said flatly and rolled over to face away again. "Well, I'm here if you wanna talk."

Ray looked at Kai for a few moments before speaking honestly, "Just stuff like my uncle and the Panthers. I think Lee would probably freak if he heard this but I'm actually a little worried about them. I guess it's 'cause they were actually looking out for me that day a fortnight ago, but also because I really do believe they've changed their ways. I also read that book over the two weeks we were in the demon realm, along with several others. They have information on pure demons and humans, but there's not much on my kind. There's more on humans. So I'm wondering about that too."

Kai sighed heavily. "I told you not to freak yourself out by reading all that."

"There was a lot in that book, not just about transformations," Ray pointed out. "And I was curious," he added, finding some genuine amusement from that fact.

This time Kai grumbled, "You and your curiosity."

"Yeah, me and my curiosity. So it can't really surprise you."

"No, I guess not," Kai relented, yawning. "Just be careful with it."

"You should get some sleep," Ray commented.

"Mm... You as well."

"I'm not the one yawning," Ray pointed out.

Kai grumbled again and buried his face in his pillow. "Piss off," he mumbled.

"Just go to sleep, Kai. I'm fine, really. You don't need to worry about me or stay awake on my account."

Despite Ray's words, Kai forced himself to sit up and turned back to look at him. "But are you really?" he asked. "Fine, I mean?"

Ray took a moment to consider the question before answering, "I will be," he decided on answering. "I'm just thinking a lot. You'll probably think it's weird, but I was sorta hoping we'd bump into the Panthers today, just so I'd know they weren't attacked when I was. I don't know where to find them so I have to wait for them to come to me. I have no idea if and when they will, so if they were captured then I have no way of knowing. There's nothing I can do about that, so I'll just have to try forget it for now."

"...You're too nice," Kai stated bluntly, "Know that?"

Ray frowned a little. "Lee's told me the same thing before," he commented, "Or something along those lines."

"Hn. If they do turn up again, don't let your guard down. They're still a threat to you and Driger."

"I'm not so sure about that," Ray said softly, "Like I said, I believe they've changed."

"Oh yeah?" Kai asked with a snort, "Well I used to believe that my grandfather loved me and look where that got me. Don't allow yourself to be lured into a false sense of security."

Ray sat up and looked at Kai. "I don't believe it's necessary, but I will be careful... if we cross paths again," he told Kai, hoping to put his mind at ease.

Kai just grunted and lay back down on his bed, turning away from Ray. "You trust people too easily."

Ray also lay down again, curling up on his side be ready to sleep, thinking about Kai's words. "Maybe," he commented on Kai's statement, neither arguing nor agreeing and just accepting it. "I know you don't want it to get me hurt. I appreciate that, Kai. Really I do. But I believe people can change for the better. You did," he added softly. "You're one of my closest friends because of it."

The Russian let out a quiet sigh, followed by a hum of acknowledgement. He couldn't argue with that. "Just... Just stay safe," he replied and pulled his blanket over his head. "I'm going to sleep now."

"G'night, Kai," Ray responded, stifling a yawn. He was still worried, but having gotten it off his chest he was at peace enough to sleep now. He murmured a quiet 'thanks' before drifting off to sleep, having no idea whether Kai had been awake or not to hear it.

000

Kai grumbled as they collected their luggage, having just touched down in Paris after a long flight. He'd never admitted it out loud, but he hated flying. And a child that had decided to scream the whole way had done nothing to improve his opinion of it. Then the little brat had started kicking the back of his seat and his parents hadn't even tried to stop him! Kai had really wanted to give the kid a real reason to cry, but he knew Ray wouldn't have approved of his methods. "Stupid child. Stupid plane. Stupid luggage. Stupid airport." He stopped when he realised he was muttering all of this out loud and glanced sideways at Ray.

Ray offered a wry grin. "I'll admit the flight could have been better," he commented. He had managed to sleep through most of it, but there were points when the child had been particularly loud and it had disturbed Ray from his nap.

Kai snorted and looked away. "At least you slept..."

"I can sleep through quite a few things. Sorry about that. I can't be much company when I'm sleeping. Next time just wake me."

Kai threw his bag over his shoulder and started towards the exit gate. "No, it's fine. Let's just get out of here." Ray nodded his agreement and they headed off to check into a hotel and drop off their things before going to visit Ray's uncle.

000

From the back roads Ray took it was obvious he'd been to see his uncle at work more than once, a fact which was reinforced by the greeting he received from his uncle's co-workers. They knew of Kai from following the beyblade tournaments, but Ray introduced them all anyway, mostly for Kai's sake. He couldn't bring up demons around the others, but Ray mentioned to his uncle that he'd been concerned when he'd heard about Hal. Stan laughed it off and told Ray it was nothing to worry about. Stan insisted on Ray and Kai joining them for lunch and afterwards he saw them out while his co-workers got back to work. Outside they had a little more freedom to discuss matters and Ray told Stan he'd heard about the disappearances. Stan was unconcerned about them because he knew to stay around others, but he firmly reminded Ray to take care of himself, before heading in to get back to work as well.

Ray turned to Kai. "I feel a lot better now," he told the older teen. "I knew I would. What d'you wanna do now then?"

Kai shrugged, too tired from jet lag to think of anything. "There's a beyblade shop not far from here. I spotted it on the way."

"Okay," Ray said with a nod. "We can go back to the hotel after if you want?"

"I'm not bothered. Just so long as we're not around any screaming kids. Otherwise I might just kill them."

"Feeling that bad, huh?" Ray asked him then looked up towards the main street as he heard both his and Kai's name called out, with a cheerful greeting. He immediately spotted Oliver Polanski heading their way with a wave, dressed as flamboyantly as ever. "Hello, Oliver," Ray called back with a wave, but being mindful of his volume.

Kai suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and bit his tongue. _Great, now he's here..._

"I was just taking a walk because it's such a beautiful day and simply looked down here by chance. Imagine my surprise to see you two," Oliver told them both as he joined them. "What brings you all the way here? Are Tyson, Max and Kenny with you?"

"No, it's just us," Ray answered. "I heard some rumours about things happening in Paris and wanted to check on my uncle and Kai came with me," Ray explained.

"Yes, it's been rather unfortunate," Oliver agreed, "People disappearing like that. But it's only happened to people who are wandering alone at night down back alleys. You won't need to worry about your uncle though. My father arranged for an escort for all his workers to ensure they're safe. Plus that restaurant has seen a bit of drama lately and so my father's put priority on it."

"Drama?" Ray asked dreadingly.

"A man turned up to start arguing with your uncle. It was very bad for business and we had him arrested for disturbing the peace," Oliver answered and turned to Kai. "So how have you been, Kai?"

"Fine," Kai replied with a frown. "What was the name of the man you had arrested?"

"Hal Kon," Oliver answered and looked at Ray who'd just groaned and covered his face with his hands, shaking his head. "Some family issue getting out of hand?" Oliver guessed. "They were speaking in Chinese. If anyone understood what was being said, it wouldn't have been that many," he told Ray, hoping to offer at least some comfort from the matter.

"It's your call, Ray," Kai said. "Whatever you wanna do, we can."

"Fucking leave him! Still think I'm too nice?" Ray responded, shocking Oliver with both his words and the force behind them, before sighing and raking a hand through his bangs, clearly thinking better of his first response. "I'm going to have to confront him. I can't keep running. Make it clear that I'm not going to go live with him and make sure he doesn't bother Uncle Stan again. If he wanted to be a part of my life then he should have been there when I needed him. Maybe point out how ashamed I am of him." Ray looked at Oliver. "Is he still there?" Oliver nodded his head in confirmation. "I guess I'll go talk to the guy then," Ray decided.

"Guess I'll leave you to it," Kai mused quietly and walked off.

"See you back at the hotel later?" Ray called after him hopefully, feeling both concerned for Kai, who'd seemed to be in a bad mood since the plane, and guilty about his attitude. It wasn't Kai he was annoyed at, it was his father. Kai really hadn't deserved to be on the receiving end of that tone, especially not since he was being so supportive. Ray hoped Kai would pick up on this from his tone. Just to be sure, he focussed on their link to send it across to Kai that he was sorry.

It must have worked, because just before he disappeared from sight, Kai raised a hand in a wave over his shoulder just as he rounded a corner. Ray sighed a little in relief before looking to Oliver again and asking where it was and Oliver offered to show him instead of just telling him. Ray accepted the offer gratefully.

000

Meeting with his father again was anything but pleasant. Ray hadn't really been too sure about whether or not to let Oliver come in with him, but he figured that since Oliver had clearly already heard so much of the drama that was his family a little more couldn't really hurt. Oliver, knowing that Ray didn't really want an audience judging from his reaction to the news, waited in the hallway. Something Ray was grateful for. Ray sat across from the man for several moments, unsure what to say. He knew what he wanted to cover, but it was just deciding where to begin.

Hal was the one to break the silence. "So you've come to see your old man, that's good."

"I'm not bailing you out," Ray stated bluntly and from the look of surprise on Hal's face he guessed that Hal had been expecting him to. "I only came to say goodbye. I don't want you in my life. You've never been there when I've needed you. I had forgotten how much you hurt me, but I remembered it after we met in the village. You had your chance and you blew it. You're my relative only by blood. My family are the people who've stood by me through the highs and lows. So don't bother coming after me again. And leave Uncle Stan alone. He's been more of a father to me than you ever were. I feel so ashamed to be related to you after knowing of the scene you caused." Ray then stood up. "This is where our paths part for the last time," he stated before leaving the room.

000

Oliver accompanied Ray back to the hotel to make sure he got there safely, but Ray wanted some time to himself for a little while and so Oliver left him to it. Entering the hotel room Ray headed straight to the kitchen area to the right of the room and stood in front of the kettle for a moment, debating whether or not to turn it on. He decided he couldn't be bothered and headed around the work surfaces to the living area and headed out to the door that was opposite the bedroom, leading onto the balcony. He perched himself up on the edge, sitting against the wall and just stared out over the city in silence.

000

Hilary moved to a quiet area of the Granger dojo, shutting the door behind her to drown out Tyson's obnoxiously loud excitement and took out her cell phone. Selecting Kai from her contacts she hit call and held the phone to her ear, bouncing a little on her heels in her own excitement.

After a short moment Kai answered his phone. "Hello?" he asked, having not bothered to look at the caller. Only a small handful of people had his phone number anyway.

"Hi, Kai," Hilary greeted him brightly, "It's me," she added, giggling as she guessed he hadn't looked at the caller ID.

"Hey," Kai greeted, his tone instantly sounding brighter. "How are you?"

"I'm good, missing you, but good. I'm actually going to go on my own adventure. Cassie's taking us to Scotland. She's gonna show us where she grew up and stuff. We're all really excited about it. Tala's PRETENDING he doesn't care," Hilary told Kai, "But you can tell he's looking forward to it just as much as any of us. How about you? Staying out of trouble?"

Kai chuckled, "Yeah, surprisingly. We're on the move a lot but we're not pushing ourselves, so don't worry. I've got a couple of pictures for you when I get back." Kai decided not to mention anything about the man-eating tiger or ending up in the demon world to Hilary. It wasn't the best topic for a phone conversation. Probably best to leave it until he saw her again, whenever that would be. "So how long are you going to be in Scotland? And when are you going?"

"Well, our flight's tomorrow, hang on a second," Hilary commented as Tyson's voice could be heard through the door, she covered the receiver and turned her head, "Tyson, if I have to come out there I'm going to introduce you to a whole world of hurt!" she yelled before turning her attention to the phone again. "Sorry about that. Yeah, we're getting the flight tomorrow and we're gonna be there for a few weeks."

"That sounds really cool," Kai told her, "Any idea where you're staying? Edinburgh? Glasgow? You might bump into Johnny from the Majestics if you go to Glasgow."

"Actually we're going to a place called Inverness," Hilary answered.

"Oh, I think I've heard about that place," Kai mused, thinking back to something he'd read in a book. "There's a legend of a monster in a loch there, or something. It's up north."

"You mean Nessie?" Hilary asked. "Yeah, Cassie was telling us about the Loch Ness Monster. I thought of you when she mentioned it. I figured it was right up your street." There was a lot of noise coming from the dojo again, from Tyson, followed by a loud crash and Tyson whining Tala's name. Hilary chuckled darkly as she pictured Tala knocking Tyson over for jumping about so much, and all because Daichi had stolen his toothbrush. "Speaking of legends, is your search going well?"

"You could say that," Kai answered with an obvious smirk on his lips. "But I'm not going to give you any details right now. You'll have to wait until I get back."

"Aw, you're no fun," Hilary responded.

Kai chuckled then let out a quiet sigh. "I miss you, Hilary," he admitted quietly, the cheerfulness in his voice gone. It was replaced instead by a hint of sadness.

"I miss you too, Kai," Hilary replied, even though she'd already said it. "But you're having fun, right?" she asked.

"Yeah. I think I'm just a bit tired from moving around so much."

"Where are you just now?" Hilary asked curiously.

"I'm in Hong Kong," Kai lied convincingly. "Ray and I are spending a few days in a hotel to rest before travelling out again."

"Any ideas where you're going next?" Hilary asked.

"Maybe to Ray's hometown," Kai replied. "But we could change our minds and go somewhere else."

"Well, you both take care, I need to go now. I'll see you again when I see you," Hilary replied with a smile, "And Kai?"

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

Kai let out a quiet sound of surprise as he blushed bright red. "...L-love you too," he stuttered shyly.

Hilary smiled brighter, said another goodbye to Kai and hung up the phone before leaving the room to go and thump Tyson because he was being a pest again. This time, however, it was personal because he was singing 'Hilary and Kai sitting in a tree' at the top of his voice and it would be a wonder if Kai hadn't heard it over the line.

000

Having managed to track down a couple of opponents to blade against, Kai returned to the hotel he and Ray were booked into. Sensing Ray's presence he walked in quietly and looked around for his friend, quickly spotting him lying on one of the two beds with his back to the door. Ray shifted a little to look over his shoulder towards the doorway before facing the wall again. "Sorry about earlier," he muttered with something decidedly off about his tone.

Kai frowned a little, concerned. "What's the matter?"

Ray looked back again, "Nothing's the matter. I'm fine," he stated before facing the wall once more.

Kai raised an eyebrow then shook his head. "Okay, if you say so. I'm taking a shower and then turning in. But if you wanna talk to me about anything, just say." Ray nodded once in acceptance but otherwise he didn't move. Realising Ray probably wanted some space, Kai went for his shower. He returned twenty minutes later and sat down on his bed then tinkered with Dranzer for a while before deciding to turn in. "Mind if I turn off the light?" he asked and Ray shook his head a little to let Kai know he didn't mind. Sighing quietly Kai switched off the light and made his way back to his bed in the dark. "The offer still stands, you know," he said quietly as he settled.

"I don't know. Just feel..." Ray trailed off unsure how to describe how he felt. "Crap," he settled on.

"Is it because of your father?" Kai asked carefully, deliberately not using the name 'dad'.

Ray shrugged, not really knowing. "Maybe," he mused and was quiet for a moment before continuing, "He expected me to bail him out." Kai let out a disapproving snort. "I didn't."

Kai stared up at the ceiling, folding his arms behind his head. "I don't blame you."

"I also told him I never want to see him again..."

"Hn. And I'll bet he didn't take that too well."

Ray shrugged. "I didn't hang about long enough to see any reaction. I think he was pretty shocked... I feel kinda numb about it... Maybe it hasn't sunk in yet..."

Kai really wished he could help, but it was a very delicate situation and Kai was known for being somewhat indelicate. "Try to sleep," he suggested at last. "You might feel a little better in the morning."

Ray made a sound of agreement. "How was your day?" he asked after a moment, seeking some distraction.

"Not too bad," Kai replied. "I bladed against a couple of kids and gave them some pointers. They were pretty good. Hilary phoned me too, which was a nice surprise."

"Hilary called?" Ray asked, clearly surprised. "Did she say how they're all doing?"

"Everyone's fine," Kai said with a nod. "In fact, they're all travelling to Scotland. Cassie is going to show them around where she lived."

"That's cool. I'm sure they'll like that."

"Yeah. Hilary seemed really excited." Kai smiled softly, a shy smile touching his lips.

Ray blinked, detecting something about Kai's mood which was a lot better than it had been when they'd arrived and he shifted to look over, noticing the smile. "Went well then," he guessed about Kai and Hilary's chat before yawning and settling back as he had been, ready to sleep.

"Mm," Kai answered in a near whisper. "...She told me she loves me."

"Tell her back?"

"...Mmhm," Kai replied quietly.

"Good," Ray responded, meaning to say 'good for you'.

Kai felt his cheeks burn with another blush and pulled the blanket up over his face, a habit that had started whenever he felt embarrassed or didn't want to talk about something any more. "Night."

Ray's response was too mumbled to be an actual word but did sound like a 'goodnight'.

Under the blanket, Kai smiled and closed his eyes. He'd made his decision. In the morning, he would tell Ray that he wanted to go to Scotland and meet up with the others. They could look into the legend of the Loch Ness monster there and it meant that Kai could also see Hilary. With that decided, he fell into a peaceful sleep. Ray had already fallen asleep, being barely awake when he responded.

000

A couple of days passed and soon the boys had arrived in Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands. Not wanting to get there ahead of the others, Kai had opted for them to travel by train. They'd taken the channel tunnel from Paris to London and then hopped on and off trains and gradually working their way up the length of the UK. The travelling hadn't been too bad, but a large part of it had been made in silence. Ray seemed to still be in a bit of a bad mood and Kai was starting to wonder if he'd done something wrong.

Ray's mood was completely unpredictable. He could be fine one minute and then the next he would be irritable and likely to snap, apologising for it as soon as he'd calmed down. If he wasn't speaking then he wasn't likely to bite Kai's head off over trivial things, so Ray opted to stay silent most of the time.

Getting a taxi from the train station the pair checked into a small travel lodge that was cheap, before deciding to attempt to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings. For a city, Inverness sure was small. There was one main shopping centre, a short main street with a steady flow of people passing through, a couple of nice hotels and several car garages in the immediate area that Kai explored. He'd also seen where the canal was located on a map and read about boat tours up Loch Ness. That would be the perfect place to start looking into the monster legend, but he had to find Hilary and the others first.

"D'you think somewhere with food might be a good place to start looking for them considering Tyson and Daichi?" Ray suddenly asked Kai, speaking for the first time in some hours.

Kai blinked; surprised that Ray had spoken then nodded. "I can try calling Hilary and finding out where they are from her," he suggested, pulling out his phone. Ray nodded turning his attention to watching people around the streets. "Hopefully she'll answer," Kai mused aloud calling Hilary's number and holding the phone to his ear.

"Hi, Kai!" Hilary greeted brightly a few moments later when she answered. "What's up?"

"Not much," Kai replied. "I just felt like phoning you. Did you get to Scotland okay?"

"Yeah, we got here safe and sound. It's been great. We went to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban today; it was really good, now we're having some pizza for lunch. Cassie suggested it because there's this all you can eat deal here and we all know how that goes down with Tyson and Daichi," Hilary commented with a laugh, "So how about you two? Are you keeping well?"

"Yeah," Kai replied, deciding not to mention Ray's weird mood lately. "I'm glad you got there safe. We're still in Hong Kong, but we're probably gonna move out tomorrow. Don't know where yet though."

"Is he keeping safe?" Tala's voice came from somewhere in the background on Hilary's side.

"He says they're in Hong Kong, Tala," Hilary commented, her voice a little muffled as she had probably turned her head away for the moment. "Tala's asking after you," she informed Kai, her voice much clearer.

"Is he being a mother hen again, huh?" Kai asked with an amused smirk. "I'd better speak to him so he knows I'm fine."

A few feet from Kai, to try and give him some privacy with the call, Ray snorted in amusement, knowing full well who Kai was referring to and then moved a little further away to offer some more privacy.

Hilary meanwhile agreed to Kai's suggestion, "Here, Tala, Kai wants a quick word with you," she reported, opting not to tell the redhead exactly what Kai had said.

"Hey," Tala's voice then greeted Kai in place of Hilary's a moment later.

"Hey," Kai greeted. "Just thought I'd let you know I'm still alive this time."

"Good," Tala responded. "I trust you're staying out of trouble."

"Hn. You could say that. I do have a confession though, just don't react and let the others know. Especially Hilary, okay?"

"And what's that?" Tala asked, sounding bored. It was a safe bet to assume he'd schooled his features to match his tone.

"We're actually in Inverness too," Kai answered. "It's a surprise for the others. And going by what Hilary told me, I think I know where you are right now from the maps I've seen. So stay put."

"Right," Tala responded blandly. "See that you do," he added, more for those around him so they'd think he was pretty much telling Kai not to do anything stupid.

"Right. Tell Hilary my phone is dying and I'll call her later."

"Well then your phone sucks," Tala responded before the line went dead.

Kai smirked and turned to look towards Ray. "Let's go, Ray. I know where they are. We can grab a taxi there." Shortly after he'd moved further away from Kai; Ray had noticed an odd sensation in his head and had become a little preoccupied with trying to figure out what it was. He started slightly at hearing his name and glanced round before nodding and joining Kai. Kai chose not to ask what was bothering Ray, not wanting to irritate the other teen, and they both got into a taxi.

000

Ten minutes later Kai paid the fare and he and Ray stepped out in front of a Pizza Hut. Across the car park was the cinema that Hilary had mentioned when talking about seeing the Harry Potter movie. "Here we go. Ready to surprise them?"

"Yeah, of course," Ray answered with a nod.

As they entered the building there was a self-service unit in front of them where Tyson was standing with his back to the door, piling food onto his plate. To their left was the counter, behind which the staff members were bustling about and to their right was a banister with two tables behind it. The second table along from them was occupied by the rest of their friends. Hilary and Cassie were sitting side by side with their backs to the entrance and talking about the movie.

"Those dementors were scary," Hilary commented.

"I know," Cassie agreed. "That bit on the train was really creepy." As she spoke, Kai crept up behind them, a playful smirk on his face. Leaning down, he placed his hands over Hilary's eyes from behind.

Hilary jumped with a gasp. "Tyson!" she snapped, moving to swat his hands away only to hear several voices laughing and Tyson's muffled response from too far away for it to be him.

Kai pulled his hands away from her eyes and placed them on her shoulders, "Surprise."

"Kai!" Hilary exclaimed in delight after a moment of staring up at him in surprise.

Kai smiled down at her. "Sorry I lied. Ray and I were actually in Paris when you told me you guys were coming here. So I figured it would be nice to meet up."

"You sneak!" Hilary exclaimed affectionately.

"Guilty as charged," Kai replied with a small laugh, before looking at Tala. "Thanks for playing along."

"You knew?" Max asked Tala.

"It was funny," Tala drawled with a shrug.

Kai glanced round at Ray, asking if he was okay through their connection. Ray looked at him and nodded a little. **_I think I might have a headache,_** Ray offered across their link.

**_You wanna go back to the travel lodge?_**

Ray shook his head a little in a negative response and turned his head to face Tyson who'd just come over to join them and was immediately asking how they'd been and what they'd been up to. Had anything exciting happened on their travels? And also how cool it was to see them again. Hoping that Ray would be alright Kai joined the others in the booth, sitting down next to Hilary. After spending time in the demon world, it was nice to get back to some form of normality.

"Well what d'you know, it really is true," a loud voice announced suddenly. "The G Revolutions ARE in the north of Scotland!"

"Huh?" Kai looked round over his shoulder, his eyes widening. "Johnny?"

The Scottish blader grinned and laughed, "The one and only. Long-time no see."

"Johnny, what are you doing here?" Tyson asked with a mouthful of food as the others looked over at the Scottish redhead.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking you guys that?" Johnny laughed. "I mean, I am Scottish after all. But to answer your question, Tyson, I own a small estate up here on the side of Loch Ness. So I came here for a holiday."

Kai frowned, taking in Johnny's appearance. Had he always been tanned like that? "You're clearly just back from your holiday," Kai told him. "You're as brown as a nut."

Johnny smirked. "Well maybe I fancied another one," he replied. "I was actually just in Italy visiting Enrique."

"We're on holiday too," Tyson announced, "Most of us anyway. Kai and Ray were having some adventure and just decided to surprise us. I listen," he told Kenny when the Chief opened his mouth to comment that Tyson had been refilling his plate.

"Well you should have told me," Johnny said. "It's been a long time since I last saw you guys. We need to catch up." He snapped his fingers suddenly. "That's it; you guys are coming to stay with me. My treat."

"Oh!" Tyson suddenly gasped, glancing at the girls, more specifically at Hilary. "Um, before someone gets on my case, AGAIN, we should take care of the introductions."

"Sounds good to me," Johnny agreed.

"These are Hilary Tatibana and Cassie MacDonald. They're in the same class as me and Kenny," Tyson informed the Scottish boy and gestured to each girl. He then faced the girls. "This is Johnny McGregor. He's a member of the European beyblading team, the Majestics." The girls offered their greetings.

"Nice to meet you," Johnny returned the greetings. "So, how does staying on Loch Ness side sound?"

"That sounds great," Hilary spoke up after a brief, hushed exchange with Cassie. She looked at Kai, "You'll be with us, right?"

Kai couldn't help but blush slightly. "Sure I'll be there, Hil," he told her.

"We'll all need to get our things," Hilary mused and faced Kai again. "Where were you two going to stay?"

"A small travel lodge not far from here. In fact, we passed by it on the way."

"Don't worry about all your stuff," Johnny spoke up. "I can have people collect it for you."

Hilary thanked Johnny before smiling at Kai again. She still couldn't believe he was actually there. She almost expected to find him gone the next time she looked.

Once everyone who had been eating had finished, Johnny organised a small bus to pick everyone up from Pizza Hut. They all talked on the bus as they left Inverness behind and drove along the side of Loch Ness towards Johnny's estate.

000

By the time they got there, their bags had amazingly already arrived. Johnny then showed them around the estate and to where everyone would be staying. Being the only two girls, Hilary and Cassie got one of the fancy cabin-like villas to share between them, which had two bedrooms. The boys were given slightly larger cabins. Tyson, Kai, Tala and Daichi were given one, while Max, Ray and Kenny got the second.

Johnny explained that he often had people staying with him when he was at the estate, but as it happened there were no other visitors, so the gang had the place to themselves. There was everything they could hope for; several beystadiums, a small training facility, tennis courts and an indoor swimming pool. Johnny told them all to make themselves at home, as they were welcome to stay as long as they wanted. The only thing he asked for in return was a good battle from each of them. It had been a while since he'd had a real fight and he couldn't wait to show how much he had also improved since he'd first fought the Bladebreakers when the Majestics team was originally formed.

Despite how lively the others were in their conversations Ray still remained quiet and, if anything, had become even more withdrawn. He could almost feel something like a certain pressure in his head, making him wonder if perhaps there actually was something wrong. Maybe he was getting a head cold or something. He really couldn't tell, so he sat in a quiet corner by himself, hoping he'd start to feel better with some peace.

Finally deciding that he'd had enough, Kai approached Ray and stood in front of him. "Okay, spill it. What's the matter?"

"I don't feel right," Ray answered, bringing a hand to his head, "Feels like there's this... pressure."

Kai frowned slightly in thought. "I wonder if maybe you're coming down with some kind of bug. Perhaps something you picked up in India."

"Yeah, maybe," Ray responded quietly.

"It might be an idea for you to see a doctor," Kai continued. "You've been like this for a few days now."

Ray sighed heavily, "I don't need a doctor." He didn't suggest sleeping it off however because he'd had plenty of sleep. He'd dozed through the day back at the hotel in France and he'd slept on the trains when they made their way to Scotland. He'd slept through a lot of the flight to France too. If it was a case of needing sleep then surely he'd had enough to cover that. He could understand Kai contemplating bringing a doctor into it. "I'll just try to starve it out my system or something," he shrugged. Maybe that was the problem instead of sleep.

"I dunno. That might just make you worse," Kai commented. Ray shrugged again, shifting to try and get comfortable in his chair. Kai watched him fidgeting with a critical eye. "Are you sure there's nothing else bothering you, Ray?" he asked. "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

"I know," Ray answered with a nod, "But there's nothing. I'm fine apart from that pressure in my head."

Kai sighed, feeling utterly helpless. "Well, at least tell me if it gets any worse, okay?"

"It's been getting worse all day," Ray confessed.

The Russian frowned. "And you didn't think to mention it before now?"

Ray had shifted into a position where his head was resting in his hand but he lifted his head again to face Kai, looking irritated. "I didn't realise what the problem was. How could I mention something I didn't know?" he asked.

"But you still knew something was wrong," Kai pointed out, not liking the way this conversation was going. Ray stood up abruptly. Startled slightly, Kai took a step back, then frowned and stepped forward again. "What now?"

"I'm going for a walk," Ray told him tersely.

Kai shook his head. "I don't think so. You're in no fit state to be wandering around. It's getting dark."

"I'm perfectly fine," Ray snapped. "I can go for a walk if I want. Get some fresh air. Maybe look into something I overheard on the streets. It doesn't bother me if it's dark. Quit ordering me around," Ray turned towards the door and started walking, completely ignoring the fact that the others were staring at him with wide eyes and their mouths hanging open.

Kai was shocked by Ray's behaviour, but wasn't about to let him go wandering off around an unfamiliar area so close to nightfall. "Ray, wait," he said, reaching out and catching the other's shoulder with his hand.

"Get off!" Ray snapped over his shoulder as he turned halfway and knocked Kai's hand away aggressively.

"What the hell?!" Kai demanded, pulling his hand back. "You need to calm down, Ray. Right now."

"Just back off then!" Ray snapped. "I don't need you telling me what I can or can't do! You're not my father!"

Kai let out a shocked gasp. Why was Ray acting this way? What had he done wrong to make the other boy so mad with him? "Your fa- I wouldn't WANT to be that asshole! What the fuck, Ray?!"

"Stop telling me what to do all the time!"

"Then stop being so irrational! Only an idiot would go out into an unfamiliar area at night when they're not feeling well. Why can't you see I'm trying to look out for you?!" Kai clenched his fists.

"I'll be perfectly fine, Kai, stop worrying so much! Your constant, unnecessary worrying is suffocating me! I'm going out for some space to breathe!"

"Can you blame me for worrying with all the trouble you get into?!" Kai exclaimed.

"I can look after myself, especially with the changes which YOU caused!"

Kai's eyes widened. He felt like he'd just been slapped. "Wh-what?"

"You heard me," Ray responded. "And you know exactly what I'm talking about. You're the one who did this to me."

That comment hurt Kai more than he would ever admit, but he covered it over with his own anger. "Well, if you hadn't run off to that machine in the first place then it wouldn't have happened at all! I destroyed that building to keep you safe! I didn't ask for any of this!"

"Well where were you when I first went in there, huh? When I really needed you?"

"I WAS there!" Kai replied desperately.

"Not soon enough," Ray pointed out.

"I thought it was me Kai had been angry at about that day," Tyson commented as he watched the argument in disbelief. Was this really Ray? What on earth had happened to him to cause this... explosion of anger?

"No, Tyson!" Kenny squeaked next to the champion, "Don't draw their attention over here!"

"I may not have been fully human," Ray continued, entirely forgetting about Johnny's presence, "But there were others like me. Your protection turned me into a freak and I'm terrified of what it's done, what it could do. I don't need you to protect me all the time and I can manage just fine without you!"

"Oh really?!" Kai snarled. "If it wasn't for me, you'd probably still be in that cell Boris and Voltaire threw you into. And you wouldn't have got Driger back either!" Seeing red, Ray suddenly threw a punch at Kai. Reacting instinctively, Kai blocked Ray's punch and then pushed him back, taking on a defensive stance. "If that's what you want; then come on!" he growled, "Whatever it takes to knock some sense into you." Ray made a derisive noise before attacking again.

As the pair clashed, Kai was reminded of the first time he and Ray had properly sparred together, back at Tyson's house. But this wasn't a sparring match. This time it was real. Ray really wanted to fight him and, going by the strength of his punches, hurt him too. But Kai didn't want this! He'd never wanted any of it. So why did Ray suddenly seem to hate him? He'd only been trying to do what was best. Narrowly missing another fist, he forced Ray back again. Ray lunged forward again, his arm feeling oddly heavy as he swung a punch directed at Kai's face.

Kai ducked back from the blow, avoiding it by a few inches. But a sudden pain in his face made him cry out and stumble backwards. His hand flew to his face instantly and he hung his head. Blood started to drip through his fingers and onto the ground in front of him. But what had happened? Ray hadn't even touched him! Ray frowned, looking at his hand. What had he just felt in it?

Kai pulled his hand from his face and stared at it through one eye, keeping the other shut painfully. "What..." he whispered; slowly lifting his head to look at Ray. "What did you just do?" he asked quietly in a pained voice. Blood was pouring down his face from three vicious claw marks, one of which had narrowly missed Kai's eye. He was shaking and breathing hard, feeling a sudden pain in his head.

Ray looked up and his eyes widened. He opened his mouth but no sound came out at first. "I... I don't- I didn't- it just... I don't know."

Kai barely choked back a moan of pain and dropped to his knees, curling in on himself and holding his head. "Kai!" Hilary exclaimed, running over to him and followed by the others while Ray remained frozen in place, shocked by what he'd just done.

Kai didn't acknowledge any of the others, his hands falling away from his head to lean on the floor. "So this is what you've been carrying around all this time..." he commented. "You really despise me that much, Ray? After everything we've been through." His hands clenched into fists. "Well fine then. If you're so desperate for a fight, then I'll give you one!"

Kai was back on his feet in a heartbeat, the wounds on his face forgotten. Grabbing a nearby bag from a worktop, he swung it directly at Ray to knock him off balance, then lunged forward and threw him against one of the walls. What clarity Ray had gained from the shock left him in an instant and he moved to attack Kai again, enraged. With blood pouring down his face, Kai used it to his advantage and splashed some directly into Ray's eyes, blinding him for a moment so he could launch him clean over his shoulder.

With a growl, Ray rolled back to his feet and moved to attack Kai again, but was caught by Tala and shoved harshly to Tyson and Johnny, who happened to be the two who were closest, before the older teen moved to restrain Kai and make sure the fight stopped there and then.

"Tala, I'm warning you right now to let me go!" Kai snarled; shooting the older Russian a menacing glare made even more intense by all the blood on his face.

"I don't know what the hell happened between the two of you to bring this on, but it ends here and now," Tala told him.

"I SAID LET GO!" Kai screamed, fighting harder to get away.

Ray, meanwhile, tugged away from Tyson and Johnny, snatching his arms free and sending a withering glare to anyone trying to stop him before storming out of the cabin and making sure to slam the door on the way out. With the slam of the door, Kai instantly stopped fighting and stood limply in Tala's hold.

"What the hell got into him?" Tyson asked to break the heavy silence that filled the cabin.

"You guys are gonna have to fill in some blanks," Johnny commented. "Ray's not human?"

Kai shot Johnny a glare and his eyes flickered red for a moment. The Scottish boy's words had only reminded Kai of what Ray had said to him. That it was Kai's fault for the changes in Ray and that Ray blamed him for it, maybe even resented him. "Mind your own business," he growled.

Johnny frowned at the display. Why had Kai's eyes just gone from grey to red before becoming grey again? That sort of thing wasn't normal. And if Ray wasn't human, what was he? And what had Kai done to Ray that had him scared? Was that the cause of the fight? Johnny had thought Ray seemed rather quiet, but this? All the anger, the lack of self-control. "That's not the Ray I remember," he commented thoughtfully.

"That's not the Ray any of us remember," Max responded. "Did something happen to him?" he asked Kai, his tone cautious, afraid to anger Kai.

Kai grunted and pulled away from Tala, "Yeah. **I** happened apparently." Passing everyone, he exited through the back door and disappeared.

"Kai!" Hilary gasped and ran out the door after Kai while the others exchanged looks.

"Should someone go after Ray?" Max wondered aloud.

"I dunno," Daichi replied. "Maybe it would be better to give them both some space just now. I certainly don't wanna get dragged into this."

"Yeah, but Kai did mention Ray wasn't well or familiar with the area," Max pointed out, having overheard most of the exchange.

Daichi folded his arms in thought. "Well, I guess I could go after him and just keep my distance."

"But you don't know the area neither," Max pointed out.

"He is good at looking after himself though," Tyson pointed out, "And if Ray is ill then we can't just leave him on his own, even if he is lashing out. So if Daichi follows he can keep an eye on Ray and make sure nothing happens to him."

"Right," Daichi agreed enthusiastically, glad to be of help. "I'd better go after him them before I lose him." He hurried out the door to find Ray.

"Will somebody tell me at least something about what the hell all that was about?" Johnny asked.

Kenny sighed. "I will, if everyone else just calms down. There's been enough drama already tonight and we're supposed to be on holiday."

"Yeah," Cassie agreed quietly. "It's so sad that this has happened." She turned to Tala. "D'you think Kai will be alright, Tala? He looked upset when he left."

Tala put his arm around her, "Hilary will talk to him."

"I hope he'll be okay," Cassie mused softly.


	9. Chapter 8

**PLEASE READ THESE AUTHOR NOTES! They are important if you don't want to offend us!**

Okay, I need to make something perfectly clear because **I'm becoming quite offended** by people getting the facts wrong and completely missing just how much work I put into the story. I also don't like it when I'm the only one receiving credit for the work in this fic.

This story is written by **both** Dragon AND Phoenix.

Phoenix controls Kai (and T'rok) at all times and Dragon controls Ray. All other characters are controlled by both.

For example, in this chapter there is a scene of Hilary and Kai speaking together - Dragon controlled Hilary for that one, and then there's a scene with Hilary and Ray and it was Phoenix who had Hilary for that scene.

We take it in turns to post parts of the story and react to each other's posts.

**All reviews and PMs are** automatically **FORWARDED to Phoenix**'s personal email address so that she can read them too.

**Dragon is the one who** posts the story on FFN, runs all the websites, the facebook page, the Google+ account and** replies to all your reviews and PMs**.

You will** not hear from Phoenix on this account** at all unless I am passing on a message.

Please **don't try to address only one of us on this account** because Phoenix receives a copy and Dragon signs into the account and reads them. In other words; **every message you send to this account reaches BOTH of us**.

If you want to say something to only one of us, our individual ID numbers are on the profile.

Please, please, please, PLEASE stop assuming only one of us are writing this fic. ** It's very rude to ignore people** and that's what you're doing when you disregard the fact that there are two of us.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Eight

Kai had wandered away from the cabins and other buildings, walking down the valley towards the loch. He'd stopped on a stone path and sat down on one of the steps, ignoring the cool evening breeze. The wounds on his face had already started to heal thanks to his healing abilities from being the Phoenix. But that thought only made him despise himself even more. Ray was right. It WAS Kai's fault that Ray had changed. Because he was the Phoenix and because of the connection they shared that Kai had accidentally created. But it didn't matter that it had been an accident. It was still his fault.

Kai bit his bottom lip to keep himself quiet, even as his body started to betray him and shake. Why did everyone around him always end up hurt? No matter how hard he tried, he was constantly screwing up. Ray had made it quite clear that he was sick of Kai. Hell, he probably hated him now. But Kai had never meant for any of this to happen. Why couldn't Ray see that?

Feeling his eyes starting to sting, Kai hid his face in his arms, unconsciously smearing blood all over them. He'd let everyone down.

"What do I do...?" he whispered brokenly, gritting his teeth as a tear escaped his control and slid down his bloody face. He couldn't take this anymore. All he ever did was cause problems and bring bad luck to the others. Maybe they would all do better if he just wasn't around anymore. Perhaps he had been destined to be alone from the very beginning. He couldn't hurt anyone that way.

"Kai?" Hilary asked softly, approaching him from behind.

Kai started at her voice, but refused to turn to face her. He couldn't bring himself to. Not after what had just happened. "Please... Go away, Hilary," he said quietly.

Hilary shook her head before voicing her refusal quietly and then moved to join him. "Oh, Kai," she said softly.

"Don't look at me," Kai mumbled, turning away from her. "I don't deserve to be comforted."

"Don't be like that," Hilary said softly and rested a hand on Kai's shoulder.

"But it's true," Kai replied in a cracked voice. "This is all my fault! And now Ray hates me!"

"I think he was agitated at something and just speaking out of anger. I don't think he hates you," Hilary replied.

"You didn't see the way he looked at me though... Like he wanted me dead," Kai hunched further into himself in an attempt to hide his tears. "I can't take this anymore, Hilary... I've got nothing left to give."

Hilary wrapped her arms around Kai, holding him close and rubbing his back soothingly. "You've always done your best to do what you think is right. I don't know what happened to set Ray off like that, but I don't think it was you. He probably lashed out at you because you were the one who was closest."

Kai leaned into her comfort, losing the battle to fight back his emotions. "...Then, why do I feel...like he meant everything he said... I suffocate him?"

"Probably because it hurts more with how close you two are," Hilary answered with a guess. "Just makes you take it in more."

Kai let out a weak sob. "B-but... What if he's felt that way all along? And the others... They've just been putting up with me." He hung his head. "After everything I've done. Biovolt, Black Dranzer... BEGA..." His shaking grew steadily worse.

"That's not true, Kai. We care about you. We really do. And we want you around. Even Ray. He's just in a mood. All I can say about him is that something must have happened on your travels to get to him. Don't you remember? Before you left? Do you really think Ray would have been worrying about you so much if he hated you? Do you think he would have followed you to work and brought you meals? No. So it had to be while you were travelling. As for Biovolt, Black Dranzer and BEGA, you've long since been forgiven. You don't need to worry about it. You always came through after those so how could anyone hold them against you?"

Kai couldn't answer. His voice was gone from being so upset. His hands and feet tingled as he shook in Hilary's arms and his head was pounding so hard that he almost felt sick.

Hilary continued to offer comfort, holding Kai, rubbing his back and telling him everything would be okay. "It's late, we should go back," she commented to Kai when he'd calmed down.

"...I can't face them..." Kai admitted quietly, attempting to rub his tears away, which only resulted in him smearing more blood on his face.

"Stay with me," Hilary told him softly. "Let's get you cleaned up too."

Kai nodded and stood up. "I'm sorry..."

Hilary shook her head. "You've got nothing to apologise for," she told him before leading him back.

"Won't the others be annoyed if I don't go back and speak to them?" Kai asked quietly once he and Hilary were inside. "And Cassie, will it really be okay with her for me to stay here?"

"Don't worry about any of that," Hilary responded, getting a cloth and running it under a tap to start cleaning Kai's face. She still couldn't believe Ray had done that to him and she wasn't even sure how he'd done it. She'd been certain that Kai had dodged it. It was all very confusing.

Worn out grey eyes watched her silently as she cleaned away all of the blood, until Kai looked away. "...I love you, Hilary," he whispered so quietly it was almost lost.

Hilary paused and looked at Kai, having heard him. She smiled. "I love you too, Kai," she assured him before continuing her task.

Kai blushed. It was the first time they'd said that to each other face to face and he felt strangely vulnerable. He sighed. Maybe it was partly due to the exhaustion that was creeping its way into his bones. But not just that. It was a mental exhaustion as well. "...I don't feel too good, Hil," he told her quietly. "I don't know what's caused it though."

"You're just upset," Hilary said in a soft, understanding tone. "Get some sleep. Everything will seem better in the morning."

"...Can you stay?" Kai asked shyly, "At least for a little while?"

"Of course," Hilary answered, smiling at him. Kai cracked a small smile, but it didn't last long as his head throbbed with another wave of pain. Kicking off his shoes and discarding his scarf and jacket, he made himself comfortable on Hilary's bed. Hilary moved to sit by Kai, running her fingers through his hair.

Taking comfort in this small act, Kai relaxed and closed his eyes. "Thank you..." he mumbled sleepily, hoping Hilary realised just how grateful he was to have her there with him.

"Any time," Hilary replied, glad that she seemed to have helped. With Hilary there watching over him, Kai was able to forget about what had happened with Ray for the time being and dropped off into an exhausted sleep. True to her word, Hilary stayed by Kai's side.

000

Daichi had returned a lot sooner than Ray had. He'd found Ray and started to follow him from a distance, but Ray must have somehow known because he suddenly made it much harder for Daichi to follow. When he'd lost the trail, Daichi had been unable to pick it up again and returned to inform the others. He told them though that if Ray was well enough to give him the slip then he was probably well enough to be left to himself until he'd calmed down and that would probably be better all around.

As it happened, Ray didn't return until it was very late. Or very early, depending how one looked at it, considering it was after midnight. Most of the others were asleep and Ray hovered about outside, debating whether to go in or not.

After a moment, the door to the other cabin opened and Tyson stuck his head out. His eyes widened when he saw his friend. "Ray..."

"Um... hey... Tyson..." Ray responded, clearly feeling very awkward.

Tyson stepped outside and shut the door behind him. "Are you alright?"

"I really don't know... I don't think so... This isn't the first time I've lost control. And it's getting worse each time. I don't know what's happening to me. I hit Kai before when I was mad at him, but never... Is he alright?"

Tyson looked down at the floor. "I honestly don't know. Hilary went after him hours ago and neither of them came back."

"I don't know why I said that stuff. Kai's worrying... it never bothered me that much. And... the change that he caused has saved my life. The only thing I said that was true was being scared of it. I don't know what I did... I tried to punch him... but my arm felt heavy... That's all I know. But it... it looked like a tiger had mauled him... I did that. What am I going to do?" Ray asked desperately, even though he didn't expect an answer.

Tyson stepped forward and placed his hands on Ray's shoulders. "First of all, you need to calm down. Freaking out over all this won't do any good, Ray. You know that."

"I'm scared of what I might do next, Tyson," Ray responded. "I told you, it gets worse each time. What if I end up killing someone?"

"We're not going to let that happen!" Tyson said firmly. "We'll figure this out, Ray. I promise."

"We?" Ray asked before closing his eyes and nodding. "I need to find Kai. I have to apolo-" Ray had turned his head, contemplating going off again to search for the Russian, but stopped and looked towards the girls' cabin suddenly. Having calmed down at Tyson's words he was able to sense the Phoenix's location.

"What's up?" Tyson asked, confused.

"I think Kai's in there," Ray answered, nodding towards the cabin.

"Kai?" Tyson repeated, looking towards the cabin. "Hilary must have found him then..."

"Must have," Ray agreed. "I have to apologise to him. For what I said and did."

"Okay," Tyson nodded. "Good luck."

"Gonna need it," Ray muttered as he pulled away and headed for the cabin in question. Tyson watched him head over before deciding to go back to bed. There was nothing more he could do right now.

000

Reaching the girls' cabin, Ray knocked on the door gently, not wanting to disturb anyone who was actually sleeping. After a moment of waiting the door opened revealing Hilary. Her eyes widened a little in surprise when she saw Ray then narrowed angrily. "Ray," she greeted tersely.

"Hilary... I need to see Kai," Ray responded, "To apologise."

Hilary stepped out and shut the door behind her then folded her arms. "Well you're just going to have to wait," she replied. "He's sleeping and I don't want him disturbed. I found him in a terrible state and it took me ages to calm him down. I don't want you upsetting him again."

"Right," Ray agreed, looking down guiltily. Hilary's hand suddenly smacked across Ray's cheek, forcing his head to one side. Ray didn't move for a moment, quietly lifting his gaze to her without turning his head. "I deserve that," he commented before looking away again.

Hilary had tears in her eyes, but they also held anger. "And I'd hit you again!" she exclaimed. "But what good would it do?! You're an idiot, Ray! You have no idea how Kai feels!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Ray asked, turning to face her again. "I should have come clean from the start with Kai that there's something wrong with me, or just left while no one was paying much attention. None of this would have happened then. He should hate me, he has every right; you all do. But I bet he's distraught and blaming himself." Feeling a sting in his eyes, Ray looked down so that Hilary couldn't see them. "He'll blame himself because I stupidly pointed the finger at him and said things I didn't mean. I don't even know why I did it. Just that I'm losing control. I should have just left," he repeated.

Hilary's tears spilled out. "You moron!" she yelled, this time hitting Ray square in the jaw with her fist, knocking him clean off his feet. Hilary then dropped to her knees and pinned him down at the shoulders. "None of us want to hear you talk like that! You're part of our family, Ray! We love you. We don't care what you've become or how you're different from before." She gripped his sleeves and whimpered, her tears dripping onto Ray's chest. "For Kai we're all he has left. He could never hate you! You two are like brothers. All these years I've watched the pair of you grow up, side by side. You were there for him when the rest of us weren't. How could you think that leaving would help?!"

"Because I can't control myself," Ray answered quietly. "You saw what I did to Kai. I don't even know how I did that. I threw a bucket of water at someone about three weeks ago, the bucket, Hilary. It hit them in the head. I'm not safe to be around. That's how I could think leaving would help."

Hilary sat back on her knees and clenched her fists in her lap. "It sounds like you've given up," she sniffed. "Kai never did. When he became the Phoenix, yeah he was scared. He didn't know what was happening, or what to expect. But instead of running away he learned to control his powers and accept what he is. How is that really any different from whatever you're going through now?"

Ray didn't move; lying on his back as Hilary's words sunk in, staring at the dark blue sky. "He had... better control..." Ray commented softly as he stared at the stars. "But, Hilary... it's not the same. Kai actually changed from one thing to another. I'm just... I'm a half-cast. I've always been a half-cast. It's just the demonic side is no longer dormant."

"Then stand up and learn how to control it," Hilary told him firmly. "Don't just lie there feeling miserable. Get up and do something about it! There has to be a way."

Ray turned his head a little to look at Hilary for a moment before turning it back once more. He stared at the sky again, barely acknowledging a shooting star streak by, before closing his eyes. "Maybe Tao can help..." he murmured.

Hilary nodded. "I'm sure he can," she replied.

"He helped Kai learn to control his power and he is my sensei..." Ray mused quietly without opening his eyes again or moving.

"Well then, that sounds like a good place to start." Hilary slowly got back up onto her feet. "Come by in the morning and you can speak to Kai. But for now, go and get some sleep."

Ray opened his eyes and then looked at her. "Okay," he said quietly before sitting up. "You should turn in for the night yourself."

"I will," Hilary told him. "Once I know that Kai is alright."

Ray nodded his head before slowly picking himself up again. He murmured a short goodnight to Hilary before turning and heading for the other cabins, passing the one Tyson was occupying with Tala and Daichi and entering the other. It was completely dark inside, telling Ray that even Kenny was asleep. All the same, he did his best to keep the volume down, not wanting to disturb the others.

Hilary meanwhile returned to Kai's side, carefully slipping into the bed next to him. Even asleep he must have sensed her, as he shifted and wrapped an arm around her. Hilary smiled and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead then relaxed and closed her eyes. "Goodnight Kai," she whispered, before slowly falling asleep.

000

Ray had spent some time standing at the window and staring outside before turning in and then lay awake for some time before finally falling into a restless sleep. He was woken later by the sound of Max and Kenny getting up and at first he pulled the covers over his head, planning to feign sleep if they decided to check on him. But he then changed his mind and threw the covers back, getting up and ready to face the others, opening the bedroom door and stepping out without a word.

Tala was standing nearby when Ray appeared outside and instantly sent the Chinese boy a venomous glare. Ray glanced at him briefly before looking down and continuing to the girls' cabin, knocking on the door. Hilary answered the door again, like she had done the night before. "Hey," she greeted quietly.

"May I speak with him now?" Ray asked quietly.

The girl looked at him for a moment, before nodding and stepping to the side. "He's in my room," she told Ray, "and he's still very quiet and withdrawn. You'll need to be patient with him." Ray nodded and murmured a quiet thank you to Hilary before heading in, glancing to Hilary for instruction of which room was hers before approaching the door, knocking and entering.

Ray kept his head down as he entered the room and tried to swallow down the lump in his throat as he knelt down on the floor in a gesture akin to submission. Feeling incredibly guilty he couldn't bring himself to face Kai. "I won't ask forgiveness," Ray began, "Because I don't deserve it, but I will ask you to at least hear me out. I don't know what came over me. I don't know why I said and did all that stuff. But I do know that I never meant it. I am scared of the change in me, that much is true, but it **has** saved my life, I'm sincerely grateful for that. And my complaint last night about your worrying was totally exaggerated. It doesn't bother me that much. Honestly, I was actually quite touched at your concern. I just wished you'd worry more about yourself. I can't believe I threw it all in your face like I did, I really don't like the person I'm becoming. I am so sorry, Kai, and I'll understand if you never want to speak to me again."

Kai was sitting on the bed with his back to the door and Ray as it turned out. With his head hanging low and shoulders slumped, even from behind he looked totally defeated. "It's fine..." he mumbled quietly, the usual confidence in his voice gone. "Forget about it..."

"It is not fine. What I did to you was completely unforgivable. And I can't forget about it. I've done some pretty stupid things over the years, yeah, I'll admit that, but last night... Last night was by far the worst. I don't have the words to tell you just how sorry I am. I think throwing that bucket at Omar was the first sign that I was losing control. Snapping at you in France was the second. I should have acted on it then, instead of allowing it to get so bad. I couldn't..." Ray trailed off, refusing to say he couldn't help himself. He wasn't going to try to excuse what he'd done. "I really don't know what came over me," he repeated.

"Mm... Well look at it this way," Kai mused. "At least you did this to me and not someone else."

"How does that make it any better?!" Ray asked, looking up from the floor at Kai. "You're supposed to be one of my best friends! What I did was... was... it was a total betrayal! And it shouldn't have happened at all! Like I said to Hilary last night, I should have left before I could hurt anyone," Ray commented, looking away again, angry at himself. "I haven't been honest with you either," he commented quietly. "You kept asking me if I was okay and I kept telling you I was fine. I wasn't. I just didn't know what was wrong or how to explain it. I still don't..."

Kai turned his head to look back over his shoulder. "And you think running away would change any of that?"

"No, but if I wasn't here then I couldn't have hurt you," Ray responded, looking up at Kai and seeing the angry red marks still on his face. Ray looked down again.

Kai sighed and stood up. He slowly walked round the bed and stopped in front of Ray, looking down at him. "If you had left, I'd be out there looking for you. Same with the others. Trust me. Running away from your problems solves nothing. Look what happened to me with Biovolt."

"I..." Ray began as he looked up, but trailed off. He remembered searching for Kai when the Russian had gone off and he remembered Max and Tyson coming after him the first time he had lost Driger. Then there was the whole fiasco when he had been taken prisoner by Voltaire and Boris. There was no doubt about it. They would have come after him and they wouldn't have rested until they'd found him. Hell, even Daichi had followed him the night before, despite what he'd done. "You would..." he agreed. "But I didn't want to hurt you. And that's exactly what I went and did."

"Maybe. But we know you didn't mean it."

"I am so sorry, Kai," Ray responded, looking down again. "I wish I could take it all back. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish I knew what the hell was wrong with me, maybe then I'd have a clue what to do about it. I'm going to have to go back to Tao to learn better control. I have to stop it from happening again."

Kai nodded. "And if Tao doesn't have all the answers, I'll take you back to see Fabian. He'll know for sure."

Ray blinked and looked up at Kai. "You... You will?" he asked in surprise. "You'd help me after what I did?" Ray then shook his head and looked down. "Fabian can't help. They don't have much on half-casts, on **mongrels**, there," Ray stated, spitting out the word with disdain. "I looked. They have more on humans than on my sort."

Kai regarded Ray for a moment with hesitant surprise. "So, you haven't realised then..." he mused quietly.

"Realised what?" Ray asked, looking up at Kai again.

"...That you're not a half-cast anymore," Kai told him, looking away. "Not even close. I've sensed the change in you and now I actually know what it is." He looked back at Ray. "You're full demon now. Like me."

Ray blinked a few times before tilting his head. "I... transformed? But I don't... feel..." he trailed off. "Wait... that pressure?"

"There's no doubt in my mind," Kai told him, "Though we'd need someone like T'rok to confirm it."

"You're sure? That I'm not a mong- That I'm full demon?"

Kai nodded. "I'd bet Dranzer on it."

Ray looked down briefly as he processed this information before looking at Kai again. "Thank you, Kai."

"You're welcome," Kai replied.

"You... know what I'm thanking you for... right?" Ray asked before looking down again, "Because I really mean it. You caused it... Really, thank you." Ray glanced up before looking down with another apology when he saw the marks again.

Kai rolled his tired eyes. "These marks will fade you know. No harm done. Not really."

"You say that and you're referring to the physical aspect. But I know that I hurt you emotionally as well as physically and I can't stop thinking about that," Ray replied without looking up.

"...I've been through worse," Kai said quietly. "I'm not holding a grudge against you for it and I have forgiven you. So there's nothing more to say about it. Any evidence of it happening will have faded completely by tonight."

Ray looked up hesitantly, "I don't deserve it, but thank you."

Kai shrugged and walked past Ray towards the door. "Stop being so hard on yourself," he said over his shoulder. "Isn't that what you'd tell me?" Leaving Ray with that question, Kai stepped out of the room.

Any protest Ray thought of was immediately shot down by the simple fact that he knew Kai was right. He had often wanted Kai to stop beating himself up because he hated seeing it. And how often had he tried to make it clear that their friendship worked both ways? That he wanted Kai to be safe just as much as Kai wanted him to be? So if he hated to see Kai beating himself up, then surely that worked the other way too? Plus Kai had said he'd forgiven Ray. Ray stood up and found that he seemed to feel a lot lighter. He still felt guilty about the whole thing, but he did feel better. All that was left to do was to apologise to the others for his behaviour. He'd decided the night before that Kai was a priority, regardless of who he saw first. Nodding once to himself, Ray left the room to do so.

Kai had moved over to the open kitchen area where Hilary was and the girl was tenderly checking his face to make sure it was healing okay. Seeing Ray out the corner of her eye, she smiled at him. Over by the door however, Tala was still giving Ray a rather frosty look. The glare was gone, but it was more than obvious that the Russian was still angry at Ray.

Ray apologised to each of them for his behaviour, though he added to Tala that he didn't blame the elder teen for being mad and that he had every right to be, before leaving the cabin to seek out the others and apologise to them too.

000

Once he'd apologised to everyone, Ray headed to loch's shore to give them all some space, figuring they wouldn't really be very comfortable around him at the moment. The last thing he wanted to do was add to any unease leftover from the night before.

Eventually, Tala appeared down at the shore, having deliberately searched Ray out. Stopping next to the younger boy he sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I've thought about what you said," he spoke up, referring to Ray's earlier apology.

Ray glanced up at him before facing the water again. "Oh?" he asked curiously.

Tala nodded. "I've decided to forgive you. However," he turned his head to look at Ray. "If you EVER hurt Kai like that again, you'll answer to me. Got it?" The ice was back in his stare and some of the stones and pebbles under his feet began to crackle with frost.

Ray looked down at the noise with some mild interest before meeting Tala's stare and holding it. "I didn't want to hurt him like I did. I'm going to find some help so I don't lose control again. I don't plan to hurt Kai like that again, I hate that I already did, and you're welcome to do whatever you see fit in retaliation."

"Hn," Tala grunted, looking back out over the loch. "You're only getting off with it because I know it was a lapse of control that you couldn't help. Kai spoke to me about it after you left. You're going through changes that are out of your control. I of all people can understand that." Tala's grip on his arms tightened as he recalled the experiments Boris had performed on him back in Biovolt, turning him into a cyber-genetic lab rat that obeyed his every command. The memory made Tala feel sick to his stomach, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He'd learned to live with it and move on. Now it was Ray's turn. The circumstances may have been very different, but the situation was similar. Ray would need guidance and Tala had promised Kai that he would try to help him adjust to his change. Tala might not have been a demon, but after what Boris had done to him, was he really considered human now either?

"He... told you about that?" Ray asked in surprise, though he realised it shouldn't surprise him. One would have to be an idiot not to notice Tala's attitude towards Ray earlier. Of course Kai was going to step in and say something. That's just how he was. And he still sold himself short. Ray sighed, looking at the water again. "I thought it was just a headache coming on, or the start of a head cold, or something..." he commented to Tala. "It never crossed my mind that I was changing. Kai worked that out. But it started back on that day when we went to help the girls. I never felt anything then. But the change started to accelerate for some reason. Maybe that's why it... I don't know..." Ray sighed again.

Tala unfolded his arms and put his hands back in his pockets. "Well, if you ever want to talk to someone, I'm here too. I may not be a demon, but I still kinda know what you're going through. Adjusting to such an abrupt change can be difficult."

Ray looked up at the Russian in surprise again. He hadn't expected an offer of support from Tala of all people. "Thanks, Tala. D'you know... I think I'm actually relieved... About being full demon now, I mean. I've met a few full demons over the years and not all of them are very accepting of mongrels. It wasn't just the Gargoyle Demons. And now I'm not... the thing that they despise with utter disgust. I don't have to face their scorn any longer," Ray told Tala, faltering several times as he tried to figure out how to explain it. "When Kai told me I'd become full demon I thanked him, but I don't think he realised just how grateful I am."

Tala smirked slightly. "Oh, I wouldn't say that. Kai has always been very perceptive. He just tends to hide it."

Ray nodded a little in agreement. "I think he suspected the truth about my ancestry before I told him. Who knows how long for? And he was the one to figure out about the change in me. And back in India I was trying my best to hide that I was worrying but he saw right through me."

Tala nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It's a gift he inherited from his mother, according to the records I once saw." Ray fell silent at the mention of Kai's mother, remembering when Kai had stayed with him to learn control. About their talks and about the night Kai had been ill and dreamt of the woman. "Don't tell him I said that," Tala added as an afterthought. "What happened to her... I don't know how much you know about it, but it's a wound that will never heal for him."

"Um, Tala, just a fair warning, Kai's able to access my senses. He told me he respects my privacy but he uses it to check on me. He busted me for fighting a Gargoyle with it before he told me. If he chooses to he can see what I see, hear what I hear and so on. I'm never aware of when he does it. I won't tell him what you said, I can promise you that. But I can't promise he wouldn't have heard."

Tala took this in with a calm nod. "Right, I'll keep that in mind. But I'm not too worried right now. When I left, he was sleeping on the couch in the cabin. Hilary suggested he could probably do with the extra rest, plus he heals faster when he's asleep."

"That's good," Ray said softly. "Kai said they'd be gone by tonight."

Tala nodded and turned away from the water. "Anyway, I'm gonna head back. Don't stay out here too long, it's going to rain soon. Some of us are planning on going up to the training building for a couple of matches. Don't feel like you can't join us."

"I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable," Ray replied, picking up a pebble and skipping it across the loch's surface.

"You can't hide forever," Tala called, making his way back up from the shore towards the cabins.

Ray turned his head to watch Tala, calling a thank you to the older teen before facing the loch once more. He skipped a few more pebbles before looking up at the darkening sky. He pulled Driger out and looked at the blade. "What do you think, pal?" After a thoughtful pause, Ray continued to speak to his bit beast, "I guess if I avoid them then I'm only going to reinforce any negativity." Ray nodded. "Okay then," he decided, sensing the warmth of Driger's assurances, "Let's go and join the others." With his decision made, Ray put Driger away and headed up towards the cabins just as it began to rain.

000

Ray was a little surprised at how quickly things seemed to settle again with the others. Kai had obviously been right; they knew he hadn't meant it. He joined the group who went to the training building and even participated in a few battles. The familiarity of it all was reassuring and Ray found himself laughing with the others, especially at Tyson's antics. An odd sensation made itself known in Ray's head however and Ray began to withdraw from the others, afraid that he might have a repeat of the night before. As he began to move away from the others, Ray suddenly realised it felt different from before, but he couldn't figure out how, or why.

Kai, who had come in halfway through the matches after his nap, had been standing watching quietly and glad to see the group back together again. But his attention was pulled away from the group as a whole when he suddenly sensed an uncertain fear from Ray through their link. Frowning, he approached the younger boy. "Ray?" he asked, instantly knowing there was something wrong.

Ray looked at Kai. "I don't... I don't feel right..." he told him. Before he could even try to work out what was wrong though, or start to describe it to Kai, everything went dark as he keeled over.

Kai reacted just in time, catching Ray and lowering him to the floor. "Ray! Wake up!" Ray didn't even stir and the others rushed over.

"What happened?" Tyson asked worriedly.

Kai frowned and placed a hand on Ray's forehead for a moment. "The final change," he mumbled quietly to himself. Hooking his arms under Ray's knees and back, he lifted him and stood up. "He'll be alright," he told the others before the others could start panicking. "He just needs to lie down for a bit."

"He was fine just moments ago though," Daichi commented. "Does he need a doctor?"

"No, Daichi," Tyson commented, opting to trust Kai's opinion. "He's probably just really tired. He didn't come back until late and he was freaking out a bit when he did. He probably didn't sleep well. It just caught up with him," Tyson looked at Kai, "Right?"

That wasn't the case and Kai knew that Tyson was aware of that. Still, he appreciated the world champ's quick thinking. "Right," Kai agreed. "I'll take him back to the cabin."

"Good idea," Tyson agreed. Tyson was often accused of being an idiot, he knew that himself, and he did have stupid moments. But then so did everyone else. Tyson also had his smart moments, such as this, coming up with a cover story to dispel any concern, and he was glad Kai had played along so smoothly that it prevented suspicion. Not even a moment spent to look at Tyson. Kai had known instantly and had gone along with it. Leaving Kai with looking after Ray, Tyson quickly got to work with the others, drawing their attention away and trying to settle them again. Tyson knew that even at the best of times, Ray wouldn't want so much crowding, and for Tyson, his friends' well-being was priority. Kai was more than capable of handling it himself.

000

Kai left the training hall and returned to the cabin Ray was staying in. Placing the boy down on his bed, Kai then checked him over again before covering him with a blanket. "I wish there was more I could do..." he mused quietly, moving away from the bed towards a small fireplace. Taking some of the wood that was sitting nearby, Kai built up a stack in the hearth and then lit it with a click of his fingers. The wood caught quickly and soon the flames were roaring soothingly. Despite the fear he'd experienced earlier, before he'd collapsed, Ray seemed peaceful now even if he didn't stir, which was of some reassurance when Kai glanced at him again.

Kai stared into the flames for a while, manipulating them slightly so that they burned brighter in time with his breathing. Dranzer's comforting presence in his pocket also helped him relax and it wasn't long before he started to doze where he sat. But then something startled him awake. The boom of thunder in the distance. Kai lifted his gaze upwards and listened as the wind whistled over the roof of the cabin. It was followed by another sound, probably of the wind rushing through the trees nearby. A deep moaning that Kai seemed to feel in his bones. It came again, growing in volume until it turned into a warbling bellow. Kai jumped to his feet. That wasn't the wind!

He rushed to the window and looked out, his eyes instantly passing over the loch. That was when he felt it. Demons! There were demons out on the loch and, judging by what he could sense, something big was going on.

_Have they come for me?_ Kai wondered, knowing that there were plenty of demons out there who would kill to get a hold of his power. His eyes darted back across the room at Ray, still out cold on the bed. Completely vulnerable. The growing anxiousness in Kai's stomach forced him into action. Whatever was coming, it wasn't good. He'd felt like this before, back at White Tiger Hills just before the Gargoyles had attacked. _I have to protect them!_

He rushed out of the cabin straight away, his scarf whipping madly around him in the strong gusts of wind. Within minutes he found himself down at a small dock where several speed boats were tied up. A thick fog had descended on the surface of the loch, making it impossible for Kai to see what was going on. A battle? There were demons there, that, he was sure of. But there was also something else. Something big. The moaning came again, vibrating through Kai's entire body. Letting out a gasp, Kai shook his head to clear it, then jumped off the dock and down into one of the boats. He had to know what was happening. Luckily for him, he found the keys to the boat in a compartment on the dash.

"Kai!" Johnny called to the Russian as he approached the dock. He'd just been coming to check on the boat with the weather change. He hadn't expected to see Kai there. "What are you doing?"

Kai didn't even bother stopping to look at Johnny. "There's something out there!" he shouted back over his shoulder, unhooking the rope from the dock to free the boat. "I've gotta go look!"

"Don't be daft," Johnny responded, moving to grab the rope. "You shouldnae be on the water in that. Don't you realise how dangerous it is?"

"I'm more worried about what's coming," Kai replied, finally turning. He frowned when he saw Johnny holding the rope. "Let go."

"No, get back on land, you eejit," Johnny told him.

Kai looked away and sighed, snapping his finger to conjure a flame. "Sorry Johnny. But I just can't." With a quick swing of his arm, Kai cut clean through the rope and the boat instantly started to float out from the dock.

Johnny cried out as he fell back. "Kai!" he shouted, getting to his feet again, "Kai! Get back here, you stubborn mule! Kai! Damn it, Kai!" Kai ignored him as he started the engine and steered the boat away from the dock, then slammed the throttle on hard. Within seconds, he vanished into the fog. "Damn... numpty," Johnny commented in frustration before rushing back to tell the others that 'that blithering idiot just took off across the loch in a boat'.

000

The fog was so thick that Kai could almost feel the weight of it in his lungs as he breathed. Ice cold spray hit his face but he ignored it all as he pushed forward, his heartbeat thudding loudly in his ears. Up ahead, whatever was making all the noise was getting closer. Slowing up the boat, Kai moved on more cautiously, the water thrashing violently around him. He had to hold on tightly to the wheel to stop himself being thrown from his seat.

Suddenly he broke through the fog, coming into a clearing on the water that was being created by the wind. Kai glanced around quickly, looking for any signs of the demons he knew were hiding in the fog. He wasn't prepared for the sudden bulge of water that rose up in front of him, breaking to reveal a huge beast with a long muscular neck. Crying out in shock, Kai slammed the boat into reverse, desperately pulling away as the creature let out a loud cry and hissed.

"A Plesiosaur?!" Kai exclaimed, retreating to a safer distance. "It can't be!"

Three, familiar, figures came into view; attacking the 'Plesiosaur' in a manner which was designed to subdue, not kill. They were the three Tyto demons who'd been arrested by Fabian's people. They'd passed Kai and Ray when the two boys were brought into the demon realm and Ray's reaction to seeing them back then was enough to say they'd been his attackers even if Kai hadn't been able to see for himself.

Martin shouted commands to Tom and Grant while he himself also attacked the creature. Long ago it had been discovered that the Loch Ness Monster's blood possessed a property which could strengthen demons. Now, more than ever, they needed that kind of power not only for themselves, but for the half-casts too. The council weren't doing enough to protect them. They needed to capture the creature and focussed fully on their task.

Kai growled when he saw the three Tytos. Why were they attacking this poor creature? What had it ever done to them? As the great beast let out a noise of pain, Kai hit the throttle on the boat again. He had to do something! "Stop it!" he yelled, throwing an arm forward and sending a flame towards one of the Tytos.

Martin turned his head to look for the source of the flame. "You were the one-" he began, recognising Kai as being the one with the half-cast they'd tried to take before their arrest. A glance at Tom and Grant told Martin that they recognised Kai too. "Don't interfere. You've been around a half-cast; you know how vulnerable they are. We're trying to help them."

"By attacking another innocent creature?!" Kai exclaimed, stopping the boat. "They wouldn't want that! So back off before I make you!"

"What would you know about what they want?" Tom asked Kai. "How long have you been aware of our world? You were originally human, were you not?"

"That's not the point!" Kai snarled. "There are other ways to help them! You're just using that as an excuse to get away with this!"

"Don't interfere," Martin told Kai again.

Kai glared at him and sent another flame out to keep them back from the 'Plesiosaur'. "Is that a threat?!"

"A friendly warning," Martin told him.

"If you're here then does that mean that half-cast is?" Grant asked Kai, aiming to distract him.

"Like I'd tell you!" Kai shouted, before stumbling back as the 'Plesiosaur' slammed one of its huge fins into the water. She grumbled and snapped her huge jaws at Martin, narrowly missing him.

"Grant, go find the half-cast," Martin instructed, "And don't waste time messing about like you did in India."

Kai's eyes turned blood red. "Touch him again and I'll kill you!" White hot flames flashed out of nowhere and went after the three Tytos.

While Kai's attention was on Grant and Tom, who were about to follow Martin's orders, Martin moved in to attack Kai from behind, even as Tom let out an agonised shriek from being hit by Kai's flames.

"Got ya," Kai commented, then gave a start as he sensed a presence behind him. Meanwhile, the 'Plesiosaur' once again tried to snap at Tom and Grant. Martin struck Kai from behind to knock him out before sending a blast of energy at the 'Plesiosaur' to back up Tom and Grant, commenting on their incompetence.

Kai's eyes widened at the blow, before sliding shut. Losing consciousness, he toppled over the side of the boat and into the water. The 'Plesiosaur' dodged the energy blast by diving back under the water. With the disappearance of the 'Plesiosaur', Martin decided to pull out and get Tom to help.

000

Some hours had passed since his collapse when Ray finally began to stir. Opening his eyes it took him a moment to recognise his surroundings. Realising where he was Ray sat up slowly and tried to remember what had happened. How had he gotten here? What did he last remember? He'd been speaking to Kai... Ray frowned and looked around the room for some sort of clue before staring at the embers in the fireplace. They were giving off a slight glow of warmth and the room still held the heat from having a fire burning, but the fire was low now, meaning it hadn't been tended to. Who'd lit it in the first place and where were they? One person came to mind for all of his 'who' questions. "Kai..."

Outside Ray's room, several voices could be heard, deep in discussion.

"It's been hours now," Max said. "Shouldn't we call someone? The police or something?"

"They wouldn't be able to do anything until morning anyway," Kenny replied. "Not with that weather."

"But we have to do something," Cassie exclaimed. "We can't just stand around here and do nothing!"

"Tala, Tyson and Johnny are still out there," Kenny pointed out. "We should wait to hear from them before we do anything else."

Ray frowned as he processed the names mentioned and looked around the room again. Obviously something had happened. But where was Kai? He hadn't heard anything from Daichi or Hilary either and their names hadn't been mentioned. Ray pushed the covers back and slowly moved over to the door, opening and looking out of it. "What's going on?" he asked the others, looking around the main room.

The others all started and looked over. The looks on their faces showed that they didn't want to tell Ray what had happened. Daichi was there, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. Hilary however was absent.

"Oh, hey, Ray," Max greeted quietly, lacking his usual enthusiasm. "Um, something bad has happened..." he trailed off, not knowing how to break the news.

"I gathered that, especially with the talk about the police," Ray responded. "I have good hearing," he reminded them, wanting them to know that they might as well just spill it now since he'd heard them talking anyway.

Kenny sighed and stepped forward, since Max didn't want to say anything. "Kai's disappeared," he told Ray, "Several hours ago now. The bad weather is making it almost impossible to look for him."

"Where's Hilary?" Ray asked, scanning the room again.

Cassie looked down at the floor, "In her room in our cabin. Tala told her to stay inside where it was safe and now she's locked herself in her room and won't talk to anyone."

Ray nodded and disappeared back into his room, coming back out minutes later with his shoes on and pulling on his coat. He'd had it packed, just in case he needed it, but had had no use for it whilst in India or France. It had seemed a little stupid to have it then, but he was glad for it now. "Stay here," he told the others.

"Where are you going?" Kenny asked. "Ray, shouldn't you be resting?"

"If Kai's been missing for hours then I've been resting for hours. I'm going to go have a word with Hilary and then I'm going to go and find Kai," Ray answered, turning to grin at Kenny, "Notice the lack of the word 'try'. See you guys later."

The others watched him go in silent shock, hoping that Ray would be successful. "Good luck," Max murmured as Ray disappeared.

000

Ray knocked on the front door to the girls' cabin first before entering and then moved to Hilary's door rapping quickly on the surface. "Hey, Hils? Just letting you know I'm gonna go find Kai," Ray called through, "So don't you worry. He'll be back."

After a moment of silence Hilary unlocked her door and peered out. It was obvious instantly to Ray that she had been crying. "But, how can you find him?" she asked tearfully. "Johnny said he found the boat crashed up on the shore... The engine was still running... Kai could be anywhere..."

"I'm a demon, Kai's a demon. We can sense each other in a manner that humans just can't. Plus I have heightened senses and a really good feeling that I'm going to succeed," Ray told her confidently. "If anyone can find him, it's gonna be me. You'll see."

A hesitant flicker of hope passed over Hilary's eyes, "Promise?"

"Cross my heart," Ray answered performing the gesture as he spoke.

Hilary stared at him for another moment, until her eyes teared up again and she pushed past the door, burying her face in Ray's chest. "Please be right," she begged, her tears soaking into Ray's coat. "Bring him back safe."

Ray patted her back in a comforting manner before gently pushing her back by the shoulders so he could meet her gaze. "It's going to be okay," he assured her, adding a reassuring smile and nod before letting go in order to leave. Hilary sniffed and nodded, putting her trust in him. It was all she could do.

000

The first thing Ray did was go down to the shore and search for the boat, or at least where it had been, before combing the shoreline for any clues, using all of his senses. The only sound that met his ears though was the heavy downpour of rain which had left his trouser legs, his feet and his head completely soaked after just mere minutes of being outside. His coat was doing its job where it covered him at least, but he kept the hood down because wearing it would limit his senses. He realised that there were no traces on the shore and moved to the dock instead, stepping out onto it.

Sensing something, Ray reached his hand out, leaning out slightly across the water as he stood, and ran his hand through the air, almost as though there was some fabric hanging there. He could feel a trace of something. A whisper of some kind of demonic energy lingered in the air. Ray tried reaching out a little further to find out if it got any stronger further away.

"Ray," Tala's voice called, as the Russian stepped onto the dock. "I'm glad I found you. We need you to take a look at something."

Ray jumped slightly and swung himself back, to prevent himself falling in the water, before turning to look at the Russian. "What is it?" he asked, approaching the older teen after casting a glance back to whatever he'd been reaching for. It wasn't something that could be seen but that didn't stop Ray from looking.

Tala closed his eyes. "I know you're aware of the situation now. Earlier, while you were unconscious, Johnny and I found the boat that Kai took out onto the loch." Tala's eyes opened and he looked at Ray. "I want you to look at it."

"Okay," Ray agreed with a nod. Tala led Ray off the dock and up to a nearby boat house.

000

Heading inside the boat house, Tala and Ray found Tyson and Johnny who were both looking at the boat which was up on a trailer. The boat had some serious damage to the hull and what appeared to be scorch marks on the sides.

"So, you found him," Johnny commented and Tala nodded.

Ray walked over to the boat and examined the scorch marks. "The hull was damaged from the crash?" he asked, looking over at Johnny as he passed his fingers over the scorch marks. Ray looked back at the boat when he felt the same whisper of energy as he'd felt at the dock. "Hilary told me about you finding it crashed," he added over his shoulder to Johnny. There was another trace of energy and Ray leaned over, examining the inside more closely, feeling around for something and then straightened up holding a feather and looking at it with a frown, "A Tyto?"

Tyson stepped closer to get a look at the feather. "What's a Tyto, Ray?"

"It's a species of demon," Ray answered. "I don't have much experience with them, just being attacked by three of them in India. The demon council arrested them for that. They've been kidnapping half-casts all around the world. It's why Kai and I went to France. I had to check on my uncle."

"So, d'you think that they're involved in Kai's disappearance?" Tyson asked, clearly concerned.

Ray looked at Tyson. "Involved? Maybe. But they didn't take him. He's still here, on this plain, I can feel it. Kai's a full demon though; they'd know that the instant they confronted him. That begs the question what would they want with him," Ray commented bringing his gaze back to the feather as he turned it in his fingers. "Or maybe they weren't after Kai and he simply got in their way."

"Do you think you'll be able to track him down?" Tala asked. "I don't like that he's been away this long."

"I'm sure of it," Ray answered. "I'm gonna go check the loch again."

Tala nodded. "Good luck. We'll stay here in case he comes back."

"Yeah, I need help with getting the boat fixed anyway," Johnny commented.

"Later," Ray told them, handing the feather to Tyson, who was closest, before heading back outside and down to the dock.

000

The dock was eerily quiet, save for the water lapping on the shore. Fog still lingered further out over the loch and it had turned a lot colder than earlier. But every now and then a wisp of residue energy was carried across the water's surface towards Ray, before continuing on up the valley. "It's still hanging on..." Ray mused quietly as he moved out along the dock and scanned the surface of the loch with his eyes. "That's more proof you're still here... But where exactly are you?"

A distant moaning sound rumbled up from below the water's surface, causing a nearby heron to take flight. Ray turned his head to watch the heron's flight and then moved to follow the sound curiously. Whatever was causing the sound was fast moving, quickly leaving the estate behind and moving further up the loch before slipping into a sheltered alcove. There it stopped and the soft moaning continued. It was almost as if it was calling out to Ray.

Ray had broken into a run at the speed of his target and stopped suddenly when he reached the alcove, only to give a sudden cry of surprise when he slipped and fell off a small ledge into the water. The water was shockingly cold, but Ray didn't find himself in it for too long as he landed on something hard and rough which slowly rose up out of the water seconds later. Soon the water's surface was a good thirty feet below him and the gentle moaning came again. Large green eyes stared at Ray silently.

Ray gasped as what he was seeing sunk in. "You're... You're the Loch Ness Monster," he realised and thought for a moment before remembering the more affectionate name, "Nessie!" A short, almost excited, laugh escaped Ray at the revelation. It was the same feeling as seeing the unicorn in India. "Thanks for the help there."

A soft note floated up from the creature's chest and she gently listed her head to slide Ray off her nose and back onto dry land. Pulling back, she tilted her head slightly to the side and studied Ray.

Ray mirrored the motion and studied her too. "You look like one of those prehistoric creatures... uh... a Plesiosaur." Ray straightened up. "Hey, can you understand what I'm saying?"

Nessie opened her mouth and let out a gentle note that wasn't all that different from the sound a cow would make.

Ray cocked his head to one side. "I'm looking for my friend. He was out on the water earlier." Ray suddenly frowned and focussed his attention on a certain patch of skin which he'd only glanced at before. It looked like a wound. "You're hurt?" he asked, reaching out towards the injury, but froze as he felt traces of energy, energy that wasn't Kai's. "Tytos..." he whispered.

Nessie flared her nostrils and thrashed at the water with one of her large fins.

"Did they attack you?" Ray asked her.

In answer she bared her teeth and blew out a puff of air sharply from her nose.

"Their kind attacked me too before. They fight dirty," Ray commented in a tone of disgust. "There were three of them. One turned up first and then another. I fought them. I didn't know about the third one until it was too late."

Nessie lowered her head suddenly and nudged Ray with a strange sense of urgency.

"What is it?" Ray asked her.

Large green eyes stared at him for a moment then turned to look down at the water as Nessie shifted restlessly.

Ray looked down at the water but all he saw was his own reflection, distorted by the ripples. Ray looked at Nessie again, "Show me."

Understanding him perfectly, the huge creature lowered her head to the ground and then opened her mouth. Her eyes locked once again onto Ray, looking for his trust.

"You want me in your mouth?" Ray asked her after a moment of watching her to try and make sense of the gesture.

Another quiet moan was her answer, accompanied by the sense of asking him to trust her.

It was an incredibly odd thing to do, but Ray decided to just go with it. He didn't sense any malicious intent from Nessie and something told him he should go with her. "Okay," he responded, stepping in carefully and crouching down.

Once he was inside safely, Nessie's huge jaws closed and Ray found himself in total darkness. He then felt Nessie shift as she dived down under the water. It must have been a good five minutes before she stopped moving and a warm breeze rushed in when she opened her mouth again, revealing a large underground cavern.

Strange, prehistoric vegetation and crystals gave off light sources in various shades and colours. A small platform made of quarts stood just above the water level and a familiar figure lay upon it.

* * *

Johnny's Scots should be easy to get the gist, but just in case anyone missed it;

shouldnae = shouldn't  
eejit = idiot  
numpty = bumbling fool


	10. Chapter 9

Author Note: Sorry for all delays. It's been a while, we know. But Phoenix is back in college and Dragon has just recently gotten over a bad spell with a knotted muscle in the shoulder, which really, really hurt btw. Dragon's also been very busy with the websites and the facebook page. The addresses can ALL be found on our profile.

The facebook page now has puzzles being posted for you to enjoy as an extra. We hope to see more likes there.

Thank you all for bearing with us.

Oh, and by the way, no, Kai was NOT flying over the loch. He was in a boat. Kai doesn't fly. The Tytos can though.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Nine

"Kai!" Ray gasped when he saw the figure and rushed over to the Russian, briefly thanking Nessie as he moved. He crouched down next to the older teen and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Kai!" he tried again. With Kai being unconscious, Ray focussed on their link and sent a jolt of energy to the other.

Kai's eyes flew open as he jumped, startled. His eyes bolted around in a panic before he actually noticed Ray. "Ray..." he mumbled, calming a little. "Wha... What happened?"

"You went missing hours ago, everybody's worried and the boat was crashed into the shore. That's what," Ray answered. "I found a Tyto feather in the boat though, so I'm guessing you fought them?"

Kai frowned. "Tytos? They were..." He groaned and lifted a hand to rub his aching head. "Ugh, I dunno..."

"Did you hit your head?" Ray wondered. "How are you feeling apart from the concussion? Hilary was in quite a state by the way and Tala's pretty agitated too. And I heard some of them talking about calling the police to help find you."

Kai tried to take in what Ray was saying, but his brain just couldn't handle it. "...The police are here?" he asked, clearly confused.

"No, they didn't call them. They just talked about calling them. The point is that we need to get you back to the others so they'll stop worrying."

Kai swallowed and closed his eyes. "Dunno if I can..." he mumbled. "Head's killin' me."

"I'll help you," Ray told Kai before turning back to Nessie. "You'll help us too, won't you?" he asked her.

A gentle humming sound came from Nessie's chest before she ducked back under the water and moved across the cavern to the other side.

Hearing movements in the water, Kai forced himself up into a half sitting position, propped on his elbows. "So, she's okay..." he mused quietly, relieved.

Ray looked at Kai again. "She brought me here," he told the Russian. "She must have done the same with you. Wherever here is," he added, looking around the cavern.

Kai glanced around, taking in as many details as he could. "We must be...under the loch? If that's even possible."

"I didn't see the way, so I can't tell. But I guess it's very possible. This would explain why her existence is debated," Ray mused before shedding his coat as the water-logged weight began to make it uncomfortable. "So what do you remember?" he asked Kai as he moved away a little to wring out his coat.

Kai rubbed the back of his head gingerly, frowning when he found a significant lump. "It was the Tytos," he recalled, starting to remember things a little better now. "The ones Fabian arrested before. They were attacking her... something about helping half-casts. I tried to stop them," he sighed and dropped his hand away from his head. "That must have been when one of them crept up behind me. I don't remember anything after that, but I'm wet so I must have fallen in the water."

Ray looked over at Kai. "One of them came up from behind? That's how they got me, back in India. Same dirty tactics. The same ones you say? Then they must have escaped. But how could attacking Nessie do anything to help half-casts?"

Kai grit his teeth in frustration at his lack of memory, _Stupid concussion._ "They might have said, but... Shit, I can't remember." He lay back down on the floor and closed his eyes tight as his head throbbed with another wave of pain. Honestly, he was going to kill those fucking Tytos if he ever saw them again.

Ray watched Kai for a moment before dropping his coat and coming back over to kneel at his side. Kai's powers gave him the ability to heal himself. Ray closed his eyes, focussing on their link, and sent some more energy to Kai as an assist.

Picking up on this, Kai opened his eyes. "Watch you don't wear yourself out," he said quietly, even as the ache in his skull started to die down a bit.

"I'll be fine, it's you we need to worry about," Ray told him.

Kai sighed and closed his eyes, focussing on their link. After a couple of minutes he felt well enough to try sitting up again and was relieved when the world didn't spin. "I'll be alright now," he told Ray. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ray responded, retrieving his coat. "And thanks for your help earlier. When I collapsed," he clarified. "That must have worried you guys. Kenny was commenting that I should be resting when I decided to head out and look for you. The thing is; I'm not entirely sure what caused me to collapse like that, but when I woke up, aside from the disorientated confusion, I felt better. A lot better than I have for some time."

"That was your body shutting down so it could adjust to the final change," Kai filled him in. "I could sense it." He hesitantly got to his feet, looking out across the cavern. "This place is amazing..."

"Yeah," Ray agreed, starting to make his way towards Nessie out of curiosity.

Kai crouched down at one of the strange glowing plants to study it for a moment. "These must be what're supplying us with oxygen down here," he guessed, touching one of the leaves. A light dusting of powder came off on his fingers, shimmering like gold. "Some kind of pollen..." Lifting his head, he looked further down the cavern. Plants lit the way for what seemed like forever. "It's like a tunnel network down here. Ray, maybe that's how she moves around so much without being spotted," he called.

"Kai, come and see this," Ray responded in a tone of hushed excitement.

"What is it?" Kai asked, making his way carefully round the water's edge towards Ray.

"Just come take a look," Ray told Kai, gesturing to something in front of Nessie.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Kai replied, finally reaching Ray. His eyes widened when he saw what Ray had been so excited about. "Whoa..."

"She must come here for the sake of her young," Ray commented, turning his attention back to the nest and Nessie's clutch of eggs. Some of them had hatched and the young flopped about on the floor clumsily as they learned to use their tiny, when compared to their mother's, limbs.

Kai nodded, amazed. "So, she's not the only one after all. There are a lot of stories surrounding her legend. Some say she's immortal, because that's the only way a creature could live for so long and be sighted throughout the course of history. But from what we've discovered, I'd say that there's an entire species hiding away from the eyes of humans, using this network of tunnels to avoid detection. They might be territorial as well, so that only one mother is here at any given time with her young." Kai looked up at the mother who was towering over them and watching her young. "It's incredible."

Ray suddenly gasped. "Kai, that egg there on the right, it's about to hatch," he told the Russian. "I can hear it cracking."

Nessie slowly bent her head down towards the nest and started grumbling quietly at the egg. Kai took a step back to make sure he was out of the way.

Ray moved back and sat down to watch. "Kai, we have to report this to the demon council. We can't let the Tytos, or anyone else for that matter, attack her and her species again. We can't stay here to protect her, but maybe Fabian or T'rok will have a solution to keep them safe. Her kind has managed to stay mostly hidden for centuries, but the Tytos were here. It might not be enough anymore."

Kai nodded. "I agree. We have to protect them. I still don't know exactly what the Tytos were after from her, but I'm not about to stand back and just let them do as they please." The hard shell of the egg finally gave way and another baby tumbled out of it and rolled into its siblings. It flapped its tiny limbs desperately as it tried to right itself, having landed on its back.

Ray felt a bit of a chill from being in wet clothes and had to guess that Kai was worse having been in his longer. They'd have to have warm showers and change when they got back to the others. Ray frowned. "Tala knows you were attacked," he warned Kai. "He brought me to the boat. It had crashed and there were scorch marks on the side. He was there along with Tyson and Johnny when I found the Tyto feather. He said he doesn't like how long you've been gone. Just so you know."

Kai nodded and walked over to Nessie who had sorted out her youngest baby. Deciding to try something out; Kai whistled gently. He'd read somewhere that the loch ness monster responded to a person's whistle if their intentions were pure. It seemed to work as Nessie turned her head. Her large green eyes studied him and Kai saw his own reflection in them. "You have no idea how grateful I am to you for saving me. So in return, we'll keep your secret and do whatever we can to ensure the safety of you and your young. But now, we really need to return to the surface." A wave of understanding seemed to pass through the cavern and Nessie blew air out gently rough her nose, making Kai's bangs blow back from his face. He smiled and touched her snout as Nessie carefully opened her jaws. "Let's head out then," he said to Ray over his shoulder. Ray nodded and got back up, carrying his coat as he joined them. There really wasn't much point wearing it now since he'd been soaked through when he fell in the water. Kai took one last look at the cavern, carving it into his memory. The babies yipped and babbled as they played, slowly disappearing from sight as Nessie closed her jaws. With both boys safely held in her mouth, she ducked down under the water to make the return trip.

000

"Maybe we should have stopped him," Kenny commented to the others as he watched the rain outside. It had been over an hour now since Ray had left and it had increased how much their friends were worrying. "We have no idea where he is now. That's two of them missing. Kai could be hurt since the boat was crashed and Ray did collapse earlier."

Tala gritted his teeth. "I'm gonna kill those idiots when I find them," he growled. The only reason he wasn't out there right now searching for them was because Cassie had asked him to stay inside during the storm. The last thing they needed was yet another person vanishing.

"The weather's gotten worse," Daichi commented, looking out the window.

"It's just a little rain," Tala muttered, turning his head when he heard something outside. He frowned and went to investigate.

Before Tala could reach the door, it opened from the outside followed by Ray's voice calling "We're back."

Tala froze mid step then growled. There were both Ray and Kai, soaked to the bone with stupid expressions on their faces. Almost as if they'd found this whole thing funny. At least that's the way Tala saw it. Moving over to the door he grabbed the pair of them and yanked them inside, slamming the door shut behind them. "Where the HELL have you been?!" he demanded. "We've been worried sick!"

"Kai!" Hilary exclaimed, running up to him and throwing her arms around him. "Thank goodness you're safe."

"Kai, you should take a warm shower and get changed," Ray commented.

"I asked you both a BLOODY question!" Tala bellowed. "Do NOT make me force an answer out of you!"

**_Oh shit, he's pissed,_** Kai passed on to Ray through their link.

**_What do we tell him?_** Ray asked.

Kai sighed, pushing Hilary back gently so he could confront Tala. **_If I die, it's been nice knowing you,_** he replied to Ray. "Tala, it's my fault. Something was happening out on the loch, so I stole one of Johnny's boats to go look. Ray found me and brought me back, so don't be mad at him."

"In the middle of a storm?" Tala snapped. "You could have been killed! What were you thinking?"

Kai shrugged. "Guess I wasn't."

"You've got that right," Tala retorted. "When are you going to learn that you don't have to do everything by yourself?"

Kai looked back at him with an odd glint in his eyes, "When people around me stop getting hurt for my sake, or because of me. I didn't ask for help because I didn't think I needed it."

"Well, you clearly did this time!"

"I know and I'm sorry."

"Can we go now?" Ray asked Tala. "I wanna get out of these wet clothes. I fell in the water so the coat didn't do much. And Kai needs it more than I do because he's been wet longer."

Tala tsked and looked away, "Fine. Go."

Ray thanked Tala and nudged Kai quickly to give him the hint to get going. "Told you I'd find him," Ray commented quietly to Hilary before making his own exit. Hilary whispered a quiet thank you to Ray and watched as the two boys disappeared.

000

Waking up the next morning, Ray figured he must have slept in. He felt like he had and the light outside the window gave the impression that it was late. He then remembered waking up earlier and simply going back to sleep because he didn't feel too great. Clearly he hadn't managed to sleep it off. Still, despite this, Ray didn't feel like staying in bed any longer and got up. "Another cold," he muttered to himself with a sniff as he got dressed and then headed through to the main room of the cabin he shared with Max and Kenny. If he felt like this then Kai must be suffering the effects of sitting around in wet clothes too, so Ray figured he should go along and check after some breakfast. "Morning," he greeted as he left the bedroom.

"Morning, Ray," Max greeted cheerfully from the table.

"How are you feeling today?" Kenny asked.

Ray managed a smile. "I'm good thanks," he answered with a sniff. "Apart from this cold I feel like my old self again. How are you guys?"

Max smiled. "We're fine," he replied cheerfully. "Now that we know you and Kai are back and safe."

"Mm, sorry about worrying you guys like that," Ray responded.

"It's okay," Kenny told him, going back to typing on Dizzi. "I mean, I had a whole lecture planned out for the two of you, but I think Tala covered everything and anything I could have said."

Ray sucked his breath in through his teeth at the reminder of Tala. "Yeah, that made me feel about three feet tall. He's scary when he's mad."

"Well, after you turned in last night, apparently he gave Kai another talking to," Max told Ray.

"Well he was really worried about Kai," Ray commented lightly, understanding Tala's behaviour.

"Yeah," Max nodded. "And now he's annoyed again. Kai is sick."

"That doesn't really surprise me," Ray replied, "A cold?"

"More like the flu," Max replied. "And Kai's not taking it too well. In fact, he's being a patient from hell." Max giggled. "Tala actually threatened to tie Kai down to the bed or sit on him if he doesn't stay put."

Ray looked at Max. "I believe him," he stated bluntly, visualising the scene clearly in his mind.

Max smiled. "If it wasn't for the fact that Kai's sick, I'd actually find it kinda funny."

Ray nodded in agreement then raised a hand to signal for them to wait a moment while he turned his head away. It looked like he was about to sneeze, but nothing came of it and Ray turned back to them. "I can make some chicken soup for him if we have, or can get, the ingredients," he told them.

"I'm sure Johnny could see to that. Kai's been refusing to eat and 'acting like a petulant child' according to Tala," Max replied, using air quotes.

Ray grinned at the description before turning his head away again just in time as he sneezed. "I'll ask Johnny about that then," Ray told them, sniffing again.

"Okay, but stay warm so you don't get worse," Kenny advised.

"My coat's still damp, so I'll have to make sure I'm not outside for too long," Ray replied. He finished eating, forcing down what he didn't feel like having, and tidied up after himself before leaving to go next door and see the others.

000

In the other cabin, Cassie and Hilary were doing some baking, as a way to pass the time. They'd also chosen to move out of their cabin and into the boys' one which Kai and Tala stayed in. Cassie could keep Tala's temper in check and Hilary could help look after Kai, who was proving to be almost impossible.

"Morning," Ray greeted as he shut the door behind himself. "How's everyone doing?"

"Hey, Ray," the girls greeted together. Tala was sitting in a chair outside Kai's room door and nodded to Ray once.

"Are you guarding him?" Ray asked the older teen curiously.

"You could say that," Tala replied. "But with me sitting here, he's less likely to try and make an escape."

"I was thinking some chicken soup... might be an idea," Ray informed Tala, pausing mid-sentence to sneeze.

Tala raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you should be in bed yourself."

"It's not that bad and I already stayed in bed a while longer for it. I really don't feel like staying in bed now. I'll keep warm though and go back to bed if I start to feel any worse. I just wanna do something to help right now."

"Alright then," Tala consented. "In which case, I'll let you and the girls watch him while I head out for a bit. I have to make a few calls."

"Okay, thanks Tala," Ray replied, grateful that the redhead was letting him have his way for the moment. Tala nodded and headed out as there wasn't a phone to use in the cabin. Ray decided to head through to visit Kai and see how he was for himself. "How you holding up?" he asked as he looked into the room.

Kai was lying in bed, covered by several blankets, and the fire was lit in the hearth. Despite all this he was shaking like a leaf, as if he was freezing. He neither heard nor saw Ray coming in. A wet cloth was lying over his eyes and Kai had one of his arms resting across his forehead as he panted for air.

"Oh, man. You're worse than I thought you'd be, going by what everyone's been saying," Ray commented before moving to check the temperature of the cloth.

Kai's other hand shot up suddenly to catch Ray's wrist when he reached for the cloth and Kai moved it back from over his eyes himself. Seeing Ray, he relaxed. "You...alright?" he breathed.

"I've got a bit of a cold, but nowhere near as bad as yours," Ray answered truthfully. "Proof of that is that Tala let me stay up, whereas you need to stay in bed. I heard he threatened to tie you down. I also heard that he chewed you out again after I turned in."

Kai's hand slipped away from Ray's wrist and fell back onto the bed. "He's...being an ass," Kai complained weakly, forcing himself to sit up. His head dropped forward and he rubbed at his eyes. "This overprotectiveness he has is starting to get old."

"He's just worried about you. We all are," Ray replied.

"I'll be fine," Kai mumbled. "Just...need to wait this out... Can't heal myself, like with an injury."

The room door suddenly flew open again and Daichi bounded in, "Hey, Kai! You awake now?!" He landed on the end of the bed and sat down in front of the sick Russian. "You should just walk this off. It's only a cold." Kai growled at him, ignoring his dizziness. Daichi shrugged. "I'm just saying," the youngest blader continued. "I mean, with the way you are now, I could blade circles around you backwards."

"Oh really?" Kai snarled, reaching for his beyblade on the bedside unit.

"Kai, no," Ray stated firmly, snatching Dranzer before Kai could reach it. "Daichi, stop it. Go do something."

"I am doing something," Daichi retorted, "Getting him riled up so he heals faster with all that weird freaky fire of his."

"You little brat!" Kai snapped, lunging forward and shoving Daichi off the bed.

"Whoa, careful!" Daichi exclaimed, before smirking. "Or I'll go and get big brother Tala to make you do as you're told."

"Nobody tells me what to do!" Kai snapped. He was out of the bed in an instant, chasing after Daichi who cackled manically and ran out the room. Despite being weak and feverish, Kai went after him with surprising speed.

"STOP IT!" Ray yelled, lunging after Kai. "You, back to bed," he told the Russian, "And you, Daichi, I said go do something, keyword go!"

"No way," Daichi cheered. "This is more fun!"

"You little brat!" Kai shouted again, trying to grab Daichi. He narrowly missed and crashed to the floor. In an instant, Cassie and Hilary were both shouting. Hilary was furious that Daichi had disturbed Kai and that Kai was out of bed, while Cassie had narrowly avoided stepping out of Daichi's way with a red hot tray of muffins in her hand.

Ray put his arms under Kai's and hauled him back up and towards his bed. "Daichi, I mean it, do something else with your time," Ray said irritably.

"Ray... Let go," Kai coughed, trying to get free.

"What?!" Daichi shouted at Ray and the girls. "I was helping. He's looking more like his old self already."

"Daichi, he needs to rest," Ray responded. "What I have is just a cold, but Kai's is much worse and he needs to rest for it. Why don't you find and challenge Tyson?" Ray suggested.

Daichi retreated to the top of a high standing wardrobe and sat on it, folding his arms. "Tyson's busy helping Johnny work on fixing the boat," he pouted. "I already got chased out of there."

Kai gasped, "The boat. The Tytos!" His eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth. "I have to go find those creeps! They might come back!"

"No, you need to rest," Ray told Kai, trying to get him back to bed.

The door swung open violently, revealing Tala. "What the hell are you doing out of bed?!" he demanded, marching in and grabbing one of Kai's arms firmly.

"Oww, hey that hurts!" Kai protested.

"Shut up and do as you're told!" Tala snarled, helping Ray to drag Kai back through and throw him on his bed. Kai glared up at them like he wanted them to catch fire.

"Thanks, Tala," Ray told the older Russian before looking out the door towards Daichi, "It's not something to walk off, please don't bait him."

"But I thought he could heal himself?" Daichi asked, while Kai groaned and slumped down on his bed rather pathetically.

"Injuries, yes, but illnesses are different," Ray replied patiently. "Besides, Kai pushes himself too much anyway. It's not healthy to do that."

"I hate you all," Kai grumbled into his pillow, earning a snort from Tala.

"No you don't," Ray responded brightly. "Hey, Daichi, how would you like to help me?" Ray asked, deciding that he could leave Kai in Tala's capable hands and keep the youngest member of the group out of everyone else's way.

Daichi perked up. "What you got in mind, Ray?" he asked.

"Well, I think we should make some chicken soup to help Kai get better," Ray answered. "So we'll need to speak to Johnny about getting the ingredients. You and I can go into Inverness to get them."

"Yeah!" Daichi exclaimed, jumping off the wardrobe, "Road trip!"

Kai lifted his heavy head from his pillow. "Don't put yourself out for my benefit, Ray," he said quietly, before coughing.

"I knew you didn't hate us all really," Ray responded playfully before facing Tala. "When we get back we'll make the soup in the other cabin. After that, I'll try find something else to keep him occupied," Ray told the older Russian quietly.

Tala nodded. "I appreciate it, Ray."

"Feel better soon," Ray said to Kai before leaving the room. "Come on, Daichi, let's go speak with Johnny first. Is he at the boat house then?"

"Yeah, with Tyson," Daichi confirmed, rushing out after helping himself to one of the muffins the girls had just baked.

"Hey!" Hilary shouted after him. "Little thief!"

"I'll try to keep him out of your hair," Ray told her apologetically before following Daichi. Somehow he had an idea he was going to be sleeping well that night.

000

Ray and Daichi spoke with Johnny, who arranged the transport for them into Inverness, and the two of them went shopping for ingredients. They were recognised on the streets by some beyblade fanatics and Ray decided to hang about for it. Daichi was loving the attention and it would help keep the younger blader out of everyone else's way.

Idly browsing through a bookshop, in yet another ploy to stall for time, Ray found a book on Scottish Myths and Legend which he figured Kai would probably like. Considering this fact he decided to buy it because it would give Kai something to do in bed and hopefully make things easier for Tala, who was probably very near the end of his patience by now.

Returning to the estate, Ray and Daichi went to the other cabin, where Kenny and Max were, to make the soup. Ray kept Daichi close at hand, telling the younger blader that he'd give him a cooking lesson and also informing Daichi that his uncle had taught him and was a head chef in France. Daichi had been curious about the vegetable Ray called a fennel, which smelled like a sweet that Daichi had tried a few days ago. It had been in a bag of sweets called Liquorice All Sorts. When Daichi mentioned this, Ray told him it had probably been an aniseed jelly, since he was familiar with the sweets and told Daichi that it was an aniseed-like smell he was picking up on. They also added carrots, turnip and potatoes among other things.

Keeping an eye on Daichi for the day, as Ray had privately predicted, was exhausting, but the young redhead did seem to be enjoying himself.

By the time the soup was ready, the weather had improved a good deal, as far as Scottish weather went, and so Ray figured he could distract Daichi further by going for a walk outside. Ray took the book along with some soup to Kai and then informed Tala of his intentions before leaving with the youngest member of their group.

They'd been out for about half an hour and were returning along the shore of the loch, discussing beyblading and beybladers, when Ray sensed the approach of demons and sent Daichi back to the others using an authoritative tone of urgency. Realising that something was up, Daichi did as he was told and went straight to Tala because he was the eldest.

000

Tala's head shot round at the door when Daichi rushed in. "What's going on?" he demanded. His instincts were telling him that something was up and they were rarely wrong.

"I'm not sure, but Ray just suddenly sent me in. I think something bad is happening because he looked ready to fight," Daichi answered.

Tala gritted his teeth, glancing into Kai's room through the open door. Kai was currently passed out from exhaustion, his fever running high again. "Shit!" Tala cursed. "Daichi, stay here and watch the others!"

"What are you going to do?" Daichi asked curiously.

Tala reached into his bag and grabbed something, placing it inside his jacket before any of them could see what it was. "I'm going to help Ray, that's what," he replied, heading for the door. "Look after Kai." With that, Tala disappeared.

"Okay," Daichi responded uncertainly. He wondered what was going on.

000

It hadn't been long after Daichi had left when Ray found himself facing Tom and Grant once again. He'd noticed immediately that Tom's feathers were badly damaged from flames and guessed latter had received said burns from Kai.

However, the condition of the Tytos wasn't Ray's concern.

He was more focussed on the fact that they'd attacked him again.

Grant aimed a punch to Ray's head but Ray ducked out of the way and kicked Grant in the gut. It gained him some space but Tom managed to land a kick to Ray's jaw. Ray stumbled back a little but righted himself quickly to continue fighting.

A few times during the battle, Ray accessed his demonic energy but hadn't yet learned to control his demon powers. The result was a lot of wasted energy as he tried to deal with his attackers. Despite his steadily decreasing energy, Ray didn't give up even whilst distractedly worrying about the third Tyto.

He'd faced these Tytos before and knew there were three of them. He knew they fought dirty and that the third would turn up to join the fight. Despite expecting the attack from behind, Ray was too occupied with fighting off Tom and Grant that when the third one made his move; he was successful in catching Ray from behind again.

Caught in another chokehold, Ray tried everything he could think of to make the Tyto let go, including sending out bursts of energy, but his attacker held fast, aiming to knock him out once more. _Not again,_ Ray thought despairingly as he found his struggle to be completely ineffectual.

"It's not normal for a half-cast to become a full demon," the Tyto behind Ray, Martin, commented. "In fact, it's unheard of. I'm sure we can use this for our cause if we can figure out how you did it. We're guaranteed to get the Phoenix's attention with you too, if his reaction to the suggestion is anything to go by."

A loud explosion cut through the air suddenly, shocking everyone into silence.

Ray felt the pressure disappear and dropped to a crouch as he waited for the dizziness to pass. The Tyto which had been restraining him crumpled to the ground behind him and Ray turned his head to stare in utter shock and confusion.

"MARTIN!" Grant and Tom exclaimed in horror. They lifted their gaze, as did Ray, to see the cause.

Tala stepped out of the shadow of a tree, ice in his eyes and a gun raised at the two remaining Tytos. "Make so much as a single move towards him and I'll blow your brains out."

"Tala," Ray murmured in surprise. "What are you..." Ray trailed off and looked down at Martin. The Tyto was face down and a steady trail of blood leaked from his head. Ray was on his feet and backed up a step in an instant, before falling back down.

"You killed him!" Tom commented disbelievingly. "You killed Martin!"

"What do we do, Tom?" Grant asked urgently.

Tom hesitated a moment before looking at Grant. "Pull out. We don't have a choice."

"What about Martin?" Grant asked. "We can't leave his body for humans to examine."

Tala took a couple of steps forward. "Don't doubt my intentions. I will allow you to take your comrade's body and leave. But on one condition." The image of a huge white wolf appeared behind him, eyes glinting intensely. "You never come after any of us again."

Ray got to his feet again and moved to stand near Tala while Tom and Grant shared a look. The two Tytos nodded to each other before facing Tala. "Agreed. We won't come after any of you," Tom stated.

The wolf spirit behind Tala bared its teeth. "Be sure that you keep your word," Tala told them.

The Tytos nodded and darted forward to grab Martin's body before moving back again. A portal appeared next to them, opening like the very air had been torn open to reveal another world. The perimeter of it crackled with orange energy and the Tytos passed through it quickly. Once they'd passed through, the portal closed behind them again.

"The Demon Realm," Ray commented quietly.

After a moment, Tala lowered his gun while the wolf faded out of existence like a cold breeze, "Are you alright, Ray?"

"Yeah. Tired, little sore, kinda dizzy, but I'm alright." Ray looked up at the Russian, "Thanks Tala."

Tala nodded and put his gun away. "I'm sorry I had to do that in front of you. But it was the only way."

"I understand. It just shocked me," Ray replied.

"...It's the Russian way," Tala told him. "Now, let's get back to the others."

Ray nodded his agreement quietly after a comment about being from a small village and then moved to head back to the cabins with Tala. "How was Kai?" he asked along the way.

Tala sighed quietly. "He's completely out of it, or at least he was when I left. I'm hoping it's just him sleeping it off and not him getting worse."

"Fingers crossed. I hope you guys all got some peace earlier," Ray commented with sniff. "We could have been back hours before we were. I figured it would give you less to worry about if I stalled for time. Daichi's got so much energy that it's unreal."

"It certainly kept Daichi out of our hair for a while," Tala smirked. "And when Kai realised that Daichi wasn't around to hunt, he gave in to his needs and allowed himself to rest."

"That's good. Hopefully it'll help him. I think I'm gonna turn in myself."

"Might be an idea," Tala nodded as they arrived back at the cabins.

"Thanks again for helping me. If you hadn't come when you did they would have taken me for sure. Those guys had been arrested and managed to escape. They're the same ones who attacked me in India."

"Well, you've got one less to worry about now."

"But we don't know how many of them are behind the scenes back in the Demon Realm. That place... it's a whole other world. Kai and I only saw the Demon Council's place and that was huge."

"Well, in that case we'd better get Kai back up on his feet, so the two of you can go there and demand to know what the hell is going on."

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "Sounds like a plan. Well, I'm gonna turn in now. I hope Daichi stays out of your way,"

Tala nodded. "Night, Ray."

"Night," Ray responded and headed inside and to bed despite it only being the evening. Having a cold, keeping an eye on Daichi for hours and then the fighting and using a new power, which he hadn't yet learned to control, all took their toll on Ray. It was especially so now that the adrenaline had worn off and Ray was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

000

Kai moaned weakly as he opened his eyes the next morning. His body still felt weak and heavy from the flu and an annoying pressure had built up in his sinuses. Still, it wasn't enough to prevent him from feeling a strange, yet familiar sensation, like pools of energy lapping nearby. Kai blinked and forced himself to sit up. "The portal..."

Getting up on unsteady legs, he staggered to his room door and pushed it open. He had to lean heavily on the frame to stop himself from collapsing. Still slightly flushed with a fever, he caught his breath before lifting his head to look out into the rest of the cabin. "Tala... Guys..."

"You're supposed to be in bed," Tala informed him from the counter where he was making a cup of coffee, "Resting."

"...No time," Kai panted, turning his attention to one of the windows. "Something's coming... I sense the portal..."

"What?" Tala asked, his tone expressing anger. "What's coming? If it's those fucking feathered ones, Tytos, again..." It was easy to detect murderous intent in Tala's voice so it really wasn't necessary to finish the statement.

"Just help me outside, Tala," Kai said quickly. "I gotta get to Ray..." Tala rolled his eyes before reluctantly agreeing and moving to help Kai, quietly lecturing him about pushing himself and resting as they went. Kai made a show of rolling his eyes and pretending he was listening, when in fact he was actually focussing on his connection with Ray. **_Ray. Ray! You gotta get out here quick._**

Kai received a sleepy sense of confusion from Ray at first before the confusion cleared and Ray responded that he was on his way. He joined them a few moments later, rubbing his eye and yawning before pausing as he woke up enough to realise he was sensing another demon presence.

"Fabian's here," Kai commented quietly, gritting his teeth in frustration. It was humiliating that Fabian would see him in such a weakened state again, hanging weakly round Tala's shoulders just to stay upright.

Ray looked up at Tala. "Probably about..." he commented, trailing off, unsure if he should voice it in front of Kai. "They escaped," he decided on. "It's probably about them."

Kai looked at him. "What aren't you telling me?" he demanded. "I sensed your hesitance there."

"Um, they came back," Ray answered reluctantly and glanced up at Tala for help.

"If you won't tell him, I will," Tala announced, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Tell me what?" Kai demanded.

"They came back and I fought them- tried to. They caught me again. He said a few things and Tala had to step in," Ray answered. "They were doing it partly to get at you."

Kai growled, "Those bastards. Wait until I get my hands on them."

"Tala... killed one of them," Ray told Kai, glancing up at the redhead again, "And told them not to come after us again. They agreed to his terms before leaving..."

Kai and Tala exchanged looks and a silent understanding along with it. Kai looked away and snorted. "You should be more careful. We're not in Russia anymore. You can't just go around killing."

"It was necessary," Tala spoke back. "At least I did it humanly... kind of. You would have played around with them first."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Says you, you psychotic, evil nutcase."

"You're scary," Ray informed Tala bluntly.

Tala sneered. "Why, thank you."

"It's not supposed to be a compliment," Ray informed him before turning as Fabian arrived. Fabian had his hood up once again, but there were a few patches of blood on his cloak suggesting he'd come from a battlefield.

Kai tried to make himself look a little more presentable by taking as much of his own weight on his feet as he could. "What brings you here, Fabian?" he asked.

"There are a few things I need to look into," Fabian answered, "Involving three escaped Tytos and one of them ending up dead. The other two were recaptured and questioned. Word is that a human killed one. We were also given a very detailed and distinct description of the human" at this, Fabian shifted his gaze to Tala.

"Tala was protecting me," Ray told Fabian and the latter faced Ray directly.

"You've changed again," he murmured quietly, almost to himself, before addressing them all, "I'm going to need you to come with me so we can have this whole thing discussed and sorted out."

"And just how long is that gonna take?" Kai asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you how long it will take," Fabian answered, "Because I don't know."

Kai looked away. "Helpful as always, I see..." he muttered under his breath. He sighed, "Fine. Let's just get it over with."

Fabian nodded and gestured for them to accompany him to the gate, where more hooded figures were waiting. Stepping through the gate provided the same dropping sensation which had been present the last time Kai and Ray had passed through. The other figures followed them in and the portal closed behind the last one. They were led through a corridor and to room where several demons were waiting.

There was a cage to one side which contained the Tytos Tom and Grant. "That's him!" Grant exclaimed suddenly. "That's the human who killed Martin!"

"Silence!" one of the other demons snapped at him.

Kai pulled away from Tala's support to stand on his own. "Remind me to thank you for this later," he muttered to the older Russian.

"Oh, shut up, Kai," Tala retorted.

"He was helping me," Ray commented quietly to Kai in Tala's defence while Fabian spoke with some of the other demons.

"Don't worry, Ray," Kai told him. "I'll make sure they know." He took a few steps forward. "Hey, Fabian," he called, not caring if he was interrupting.

Fabian broke off from his conversation to turn and give Kai his full attention, "Yes, Kai?"

"I trust that this is going to be focussed around how those Tytos escaped and attacked us, and not just about Tala killing one."

"Of course," Fabian answered. "We're going to cover each factor at a time. It seems they used our absence and lack of security to escape. You said before that you wanted to help. We're going to have to ask you handle a lot of things in order to prevent a repeat of this."

Kai sighed, "Fine. It might actually get done then. Up until now, everything's been sloppy at best."

"Kai," Ray admonished quietly.

Kai snorted. He didn't care. The council were supposed to provide them with protection, but this was the second time they'd let them down. He looked at the two remaining Tytos. "So, what do you intend to do with the pair of budgies over there?"

"That will depend on the full extent of their crimes," Fabian answered.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "And will they actually STAY locked up this time?"

"If their sentence is decided to be imprisonment then we will make extra efforts to ensure they don't escape again," Fabian answered.

"Hn," Kai grunted, walking over to the cage. He stared in at Tom and Grant. "Well, whatever decision is made, you two had better behave yourselves."

"I'm not so sure they're going to want his attention anymore," Ray commented quietly to Tala referring to Martin's last words.

"Not if they know what's good for them," Tala agreed, watching Kai carefully.

Fabian turned back to his discussion with the group of council members before asking Kai, Ray and Tala to give their stories in order of incidents. This meant it was Kai's turn first, as he'd interrupted the Tytos in their attack on Nessie.

Kai wasted no time in explaining to the council what had happened, giving them as many details as he could remember. Every now and then he would send a withering glare at the Tytos, but kept his temper otherwise in check. He couldn't afford to lose it. He was holding up for now, despite his fever. But if he wasn't too careful then he could risk using up all his energy and collapsing. He wasn't about to let that happen. He wasn't weak.

"You have to protect those creatures," Kai finished, speaking of Nessie and her young. "And I mean really protect them. Thanks to those guys, they might not be able to hide their existence much longer."

The council members discussed this quietly before agreeing to do what they could and then Ray was to tell them what he knew. Ray told them about the Tytos attacking him specifically again because they wanted to get at Kai but also because they knew he was full demon now and wanted to somehow use that, which was something he hadn't actually told Kai. He told the council members about how he tried to fight them off but was caught in a blood choke which would have had him unconscious and in their custody somewhere unknown if it hadn't been for Tala's timely arrival.

At this news, Kai turned back quickly towards the cage and slammed his fist against one of the bars. The whole cage shook with the force. "You're lucky Tala found you and not me, otherwise you'd all be dead!" he shouted, eyes glowing.

"You don't understand how many half-casts could be saved if can work out how he became full," Tom responded. "He's stronger than half-casts like that and can hold his own against full demons. If we can apply that to others then they won't be at risk from demon attack!"

Kai reached into the cage and grabbed Tom by the shirt collar, pulling him forward harshly to slam against the bars. "You wanna know how he's full demon now?" he snarled. "Well then, you should have asked. The answer is because of me! I changed him using my power!" He threw Tom back across the cage and into the opposite side of it. "So, let's see if you're so eager to hunt me! Huh?!"

Ray moved over and touched Kai's shoulder. "Kai, come on back over here. You can beat the snot out of them after. Tala still needs to give his account of what happened." Kai grit his teeth and hit the bars one last time, before doing as Ray suggested and moving away. The two Tytos cowered back in the cage until Kai had moved away and Ray followed the Russian back over. With things calm again, the council members asked Tala give his side of the story.

With all of the attention now on him, Tala put his hands in his pockets. "I knew something was wrong. So I acted. Ray was in danger. I had a clear shot. So I took it." He shrugged again. "That's all there is to it."

Fabian and several members of the council nodded in acceptance before discussing the matter amongst themselves. It was decided that the Tytos would be banished to a confinement area which would prevent the use of their powers as well as keep their energy subdued.

With the final verdict decided, Kai approached Fabian to speak with him once again, this time without the attitude. "Is T'rok available right now?"

"I believe he's reading up on some material in the library right now, but I'm sure he's still available," Fabian answered.

Kai hummed in acknowledgement. "I want him to take a look at Ray, if that's possible. Get his opinion on the change." Ray turned his attention fully towards Kai with a soft sound in his throat.

Fabian nodded, "I think that would be good idea," he agreed. "It's not a regular occurrence after all."

"Alright then. We can find him ourselves. I just wanted to let you know my intentions." Turning from Fabian, Kai returned to Ray and Tala. "I found out that T'rok is in the library, if you wanna see him." Ray nodded and Fabian commented to them that Tala was welcome to stay with them until they were ready to go back. "Right, let's get going," Kai decided and they left for the library to locate T'rok. Ray and Tala followed Kai as they headed to the library and Ray quietly told Tala about the last time they were there.

000

As Fabian had said, T'rok was indeed in the library. He looked up when he sensed the group's presence and smiled. "Well, hello young ones. It is good to see you again." His old eyes landed instantly on Ray. "My, you've changed a bit since I last saw you."

"Yeah," Ray agreed before admitting "I haven't learned to control it yet either."

T'rok hummed in thought and stood. "In that case, it's even more important that I take a look at you. We need to make sure your condition has stabilised. Only then can you start learning control." He picked up the book he'd been reading and turned. "Come with me. This shouldn't take too long." Ray nodded his head with an affirmative hum, glanced at the two Russians briefly and then followed after T'rok.

"Should we go too?" Tala asked.

Kai shrugged, picking up Quinn when the cat appeared at his feet. "Might as well," he replied. Ray glanced back at them again as he followed T'rok.

T'rok took them to a smaller examination chamber than the one that Ray and Kai had first been in and, once Ray was seated, the old demon started to look him over. He was pleased to say that Ray's transformation seemed to have run its course and announced that he was officially full demon. When Kai asked about how Ray could learn to control his new powers, T'rok suggested that Ray learn from the same teacher that Kai had, Tao. "It's all about the flow of energy within your body," T'rok explained. "Once you know the flow and the course it takes through your body, then you will be able to learn to control it. And as that happens, you will find that you'll soon be able to see your energy."

"A couple of days ago I just snapped. I said and did things that I honestly regret. I injured Kai and I don't even know how I did it. That's not likely to happen again then, is it?" Ray asked T'rok.

"Not as long as you're extra careful," T'rok answered. "I'd try not to dwell on what happened. It won't do you any good."

Ray nodded a little while he thought to himself quietly. It looked like he was going to have to go home. Once again he found himself wondering how they would take the change back there.

T'rok stood up straight, having finished his examination. "Alright, your condition is stable for the moment. If you start to feel stressed out, then focus on your energies and try to remove yourself from any aggravation. If that doesn't work, come to see me immediately." The old healer looked to Kai. "Stay with him at all times, but be sure to give him space. If you need my help, I want you to bring him here. He may be full demon now, but until this is under control, I don't want him opening the portal himself."

Kai nodded, "Right, got it."

Ray looked at T'rok then at Kai, feeling a weight lifting at the knowledge and reassurance that there were fail-safes in place. With those, he was less likely to hurt someone he cared about again.

"Okay, I had better let you youngsters get going," T'rok commented. "But feel free to drop in whenever you like."

"Thank you, T'rok," Ray responded. T'rok smiled and said goodbye, letting them head back. Not wanting to get caught up in anything else, Kai quickly opened the portal back to the estate at Loch Ness and they stepped through it. "I think we should probably go back to our beds," Ray commented to Kai. "Sleep's the best thing for a cold."

Kai nodded. He was quite pleased with himself for forcing back his flu so that he didn't appear weak, but his head was now pounding and he felt cold again. "Yeah," he agreed. "I just got so wound up back there that it made me forget about it."

"Well go sleep then," Ray told Kai before grinning, "And there's plenty of soup left if you get hungry by the way."

Kai grumbled something that sounded like 'whatever' before heading back to his cabin and going to bed.

"I'm turning in too, later," Ray commented to Tala before heading to the next cabin. Tala meanwhile also went back to his cabin. This time, he was determined to make sure that Kai stayed in bed and rested.

000

A few days had passed and Tala had headed off into Inverness with Cassie for some peace and quiet. With Kai over his cold, Tala felt he didn't need to be there all the time now. Kenny was busy typing away on his laptop with Dizzi commenting on the data now and then. Max was watching Braveheart and laughing while Johnny gave him a running commentary of how much of the movie was wrong. Tyson and Daichi, meanwhile, were having some form of disagreement and fighting over something in their hands, playing tug-o-war.

000

"Man, they're so noisy sometimes," Kai grumbled, having stepped out for some air and a break from all the noise. He'd been trying to work on Dranzer, but with all the commotion from the TV, Dizzi talking and Tyson and Daichi, he couldn't think straight.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Kai wandered down towards the dock, stopping once he got there and staring out over the water. _I wonder how Nessie is doing..._ he mused. _I hope she and her brood are okay._

A cloaked figure quietly approached Kai from behind, maintaining a fair distance from him. Kai sensed a demonic presence immediately, causing every muscle in his body to tense up. "I won't attack you," the figure told Kai somewhat stiffly. "I merely came to see what all the fuss was about with the Tytos."

Kai looked back over his shoulder and frowned. "Is that so?" he asked. "I trust you're not here to cause any more trouble. Because I'm really not in the mood right now."

"More trouble? I hope you're not insinuating that I'm with the Tytos. I'm an ally to Fabian. I was unable to attend the meeting due to having business elsewhere, but I've heard a few things and was curious."

Kai snorted and looked away. "Whatever. I really couldn't care less."

"That's a pretty lousy attitude to have, especially in your case."

Kai turned back quickly with a growl, his scarf flicking out behind him. "And what is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"I suppose no one's told you then. We used to have the manpower to handle all the work involved in keeping our world hidden. Our numbers were cut down dramatically by a human and now we can only handle one task or the other. That human was a man named Voltaire Hiwatari."

Kai felt the colour drain from his face and looked away. Still he was haunted by his grandfather! Even though the bastard was dead and gone! "Let me guess..." he said through clenched teeth. "You hold a grudge and you're picking on me because of it?"

"Fabian says we shouldn't associate you with your grandfather, but really, I'm waiting to see you prove that you're not like him," the figure replied.

Kai's eyes turned red with rage. "I don't have to prove ANYTHING to you!" he snarled, "So just clear off." The figure snorted, commented on things not looking too promising so far and then left. The dock suddenly didn't seem that pleasant anymore as Kai's blood boiled. What a nerve that demon had! The next time Kai saw him, if he ever did, he would give him a real piece of his mind. With thunder clouds almost appearing over his head, Kai stormed back up to the cabins furiously.

000

"Can we add some chilli pepper to this?" Hilary suddenly asked as she stirred the contents in the pot. They were experimenting with some soup to go as a starter with the beef dinner Hilary was adamant about having that evening. They weren't staying in Scotland for much longer and so she'd decided that they should have a special evening with a three-course meal. There was still a dessert to decide on and make, but that could wait for the moment.

Ray paused in chopping the leeks to look over thoughtfully. "I don't see why not," he decided. Ray moved to grab a red chilli pepper and began rolling it between his hands and tapping it on the counter.

"What are you doing that for?" Hilary asked curiously.

"This is a nice little trick for getting the seeds out," Ray told her before cutting the top off of the pepper and tipping the seeds into a little bowl. He tapped the chilli pepper off the edge of the bowl to help encourage the seeds to come out and then chopped it up and put it on a plate for Hilary.

"Your uncle teach you that?" Hilary asked as she picked the plate up and debated whether or not to add them to the pot yet. She didn't want them over cooked. She decided not to put them in yet and sat the plate on the counter.

"Yeah, he did," Ray confirmed as he finished the leeks off and placed them in a bowl. Ray took a clove of garlic and placed the flat surface of the knife blade over it and pressed it down to crush the garlic slightly. This made it easier for him to peel the clove and he began chopping up the garlic while Hilary took the bowl of chopped leeks to the counter so it wouldn't be in Ray's way. "You can add that to the pot soon," Ray told her without looking up from the task. Hilary smiled, knowing that Ray wasn't being rude but focussing on the task at hand. She didn't blame him. He was using a very sharp knife after all.

000

Daichi managed to pull free with the object he and Tyson were fighting over, which turned out to be the remote for the TV in the other cabin of all things, and began running away while Tyson yelled at him and gave chase. "No way are you watching crap all night again! Give me that, Daichi!"

"No way!" Daichi responded as he continued to run from Tyson. He suddenly changed direction, knocking over the table that Kenny was sitting at as he passed, "Can't catch me!"

000

"You can go ahead and add the leeks now," Ray commented to Hilary as he moved on to the carrots.

"Okay," Hilary replied, picking up the bowl and moving over to the bubbling pot.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHH!" Kenny yelled suddenly from the room he and the others were in, causing both Hilary and Ray to jump.

"Ow," Ray complained quietly, having just sliced his finger when he started, while Hilary cried out when the boiling water splashed her. "Cold tap," Ray told her before he promptly put his bleeding finger in his mouth.

Kai walked in during all the commotion and fought the urge to cover his face with a hand. Couldn't they have a peaceful day, just for once? Crossing the room, he moved through into the kitchen. He stopped and frowned when he saw Ray with a finger in his mouth and Hilary with her hand under the cold tap. "What happened?" It seemed strange that they'd both had an accident at the same time.

"Kai!" Hilary gasped, looking round in surprise. "Um, Kenny screamed. It made me jump and I splashed myself. I think Ray caught his finger with the knife?" she more asked than stated. Ray nodded in confirmation.

Kai's hands curled into fists, "That because of Tyson and Daichi running around like a couple of idiots through there?"

"Might be," Hilary mused.

"There was a bit of a thud," Ray commented after removing his finger.

Cracking a few knuckles, Kai turned away and went into the other room. "Tyson, Daichi. Come here."

Tyson and Daichi looked up from where they were standing over Kenny, who was making a fuss about his laptop not turning on, and walked over to Kai. "What is it?" Daichi asked.

"Turn round."

Thoroughly weirded out by Kai's instruction, Tyson and Daichi shared a look, shrugged and then did as they were told. Were they supposed to be looking at something? Before they could get the chance to say or do anything else, Kai lifted his hands, grabbing both boys, and slammed their heads together.

What followed was an extremely loud series of complaints and demands for an explanation. There was even a fair deal of cursing coming from both Tyson and Daichi. Kai ignored them and returned to the kitchen with a grunt and flick of his scarf over his shoulder.

Both Tyson and Daichi started shouting after Kai, but then Kenny seemed to get over his shock and started shouting over them both and chewing them out with a lecture. Johnny and Max both laughed at the lecture but Johnny told Kenny he would pay for the laptop to be repaired as soon as possible.


	11. Chapter 10

Author Note: Gonna dedicate this to those of you who have stuck with us despite the delays and continued to review our story. Also to the people who have visited our facebook page and clicked like. Your continued support is what keeps this story going.

The link to our facebook page is on our profile. The facebook page is where you can be notified of things like the exclusive Cold Competition Puzzles and when we're planning to upload another chapter, also about the updates of the Abridged version of Cold Competition. There are also some pictures of us two cosplaying Naruto on there and some of Dragon's Beyblade pictures. Hope to see more of you over there and thanks to all people who have liked the page.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Ten

"So what was it?" Hilary asked Kai curiously when he returned to the kitchen.

"Them being prats," Kai muttered, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.

"Why am I not surprised?" Hilary commented with an exasperated shake of her head.

"Did you put the cayenne pepper away?" Ray suddenly asked her. "It was right there a moment ago." He began to move toward the cupboard to check.

"Yeah, I took care of it," Hilary answered quickly, too quickly. Ray looked at her and lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, I decided some payback was in order," Hilary admitted and turned to retrieve two bowls from behind her. Both bowls had red powder about a centimetre deep lying in the bottom of them.

Seeing the evil red stuff Kai shuddered slightly and looked away. "I don't even want to know."

"Tyson and Daichi are going to eat it," Hilary informed him with a dark chuckle.

"Hn. Good luck with that," Kai commented.

"They're gonna spit that out as soon as it touches their tongues, you know that, right?" Ray asked her.

"ANYWAY," Hilary began loudly to cut off any further comments, "I'm thinking something dairy-based for dessert. How does a nice sweet milk pudding sound?"

"Hey that sounds good," Ray agreed, seemingly falling for her little distraction. "Of course, this wouldn't by any chance be to use up the milk, would it?" Ray asked her, proving that he hadn't really forgotten the topic.

"Perish the thought!" Hilary exclaimed in mock-innocence. Ray gave a somewhat suspicious hum of acceptance before grabbing the mortar and pestle. "What do you need that for?" Hilary asked.

"To show you how to really burn someone's mouth," Ray answered as he tipped the chilli pepper seeds into it.

"That's positively evil. Let me do it!"

"Be my guest," Ray replied, handing them over. "I don't really want to get it on my finger anyway."

"Kai, see if you can find anything else for them, please," Hilary requested sweetly as she looked up at the Russian. Puffing out a sigh, Kai reluctantly moved away from the wall to do as Hilary asked. But his mind was elsewhere.

"Penny for your thoughts," Ray asked him as he moved back to his previous task of chopping carrots, **_Or this way if you prefer? What's eating you?_**

Kai paused briefly in what he was doing. **_It doesn't matter..._** he decided on.

Ray paused and looked at Kai before going back to what he was doing. **_I know I've been a real pain in the ass lately, but if you change your mind and want to talk about it, I'm here._**

**_It's not that big a deal..._** Kai lied. **_Don't worry about it, Ray._**

Ray smiled a little. **_Does it ever work when I tell you not to worry?_**

**_You already know the answer to that question,_** Kai retorted, rolling his eyes. **_So I really don't need to answer it._**

Ray couldn't help but laugh a little at the answer. **_Well, the offer still stands if you change your mind._**

Kai nodded slightly, **_Maybe later, yeah?_**

Ray smiled again, this one more than just amused, and nodded his head, **_Yeah,_** he agreed.

000

The group stayed at Johnny's estate for another couple of days and thankfully there was no more drama. But as their holiday came to an end they made the decision to split up again. Ray needed to get back to his home town and Kai would be going with him. Max decided that he wanted to go and visit his mom in America, while Tyson and Kenny were happy enough to return to Japan.

That just left Tala, Hilary and Cassie. Cassie was happy to go wherever Tala went and the older Russian had decided that he wanted to keep an eye on Kai for a while longer. Hilary also wanted to spend more time with Kai and was keen to see Mariah again. So the decision was made.

The group travelled down by train to London, after Mr Dickenson organised their individual flights and spent one final day together before heading to the airport. Kai had treated Hilary to a shopping spree around London so she could buy some extra clothes and had even paid for Cassie's shopping as well when he found out Tala was running low on the travellers cheques he'd brought with him. It wasn't like Kai was pushed for cash anyway. He was the heir to a multi-million company after all. But that didn't matter to him. He liked to treat Hilary and he didn't want Cassie to feel left out because she couldn't afford anything. So after making sure it was definitely okay with him, the girls took full advantage of their situation. Kai ended up having to pay extra baggage allowances for the flight, but he merely shrugged and did so.

With everyone checking in to their respective gates, the group said goodbye and parted. It wasn't long after that Ray, Kai, Tala, Hilary and Cassie heard their flight being called and boarded their plane, next stop; Hong Kong, China.

000

After their arrival in Hong Kong, the group decided to wait until the next day before setting out for White Tiger Hills as it was quite a long journey and the girls weren't as used to such long hikes as the boys.

Word reached the village that they were on their way before they got there and so they were met along the way by Ray's team. All of whom were glad to see both Ray and Kai again, though very surprised by the change in Ray. Ray assured them that he would tell them all about it later, but that he really needed to see Tao as soon as possible. Lee, Mariah, Gary and Kevin accompanied them the rest of the way and Mariah soon joined the conversation with Hilary and Cassie.

As they neared the top of a hill which would provide a view of the village, Ray quietly reminded Tala that it was a small village, aware that some people found villagers of such rural areas to be annoying, and not wanting there to be any unpleasant surprises that would reflect badly on his home.

Tala actually smiled slightly and reassured Ray that he would be fine and that he was actually looking forward to experiencing what it was like at Ray's hometown first-hand. It was actually very similar to how Kai had been when he first journeyed to White Tiger Hills.

"They will stare a lot," Ray added as an afterthought. "We still don't get that many people up here so it's not common to see strangers."

"Being stared at isn't exactly something I'm not used to," Tala replied. "It's fine. Don't worry, Ray."

"He's mainly concerned about the ones who call out," Mariah commented. "If you want my advice, don't respond to them. It only makes them laugh."

"Not a problem," Tala replied.

"You know there's a lot of gossip going on right?" Kevin put in, grinning, "Everybody knows everybody here and they're going to ta-"

"You know, we can give you a tour," Lee interrupted the smaller blader, "Including Kevin's tree."

"It's Kevin's tree now, is it?" Ray asked.

"Lee tied him to it five more times while you've been away," Mariah spoke up, "So basically, yeah. It's his tree."

"Oh?" Kai asked, amused. "How did you escape, Kevin? Or did someone else come along and end up rescuing you like I did?"

"I got help," Kevin answered, seeming to deflate. "I had to promise to do favours for them in return."

"Tell him who you owe the favours to, Kevin," Mariah prompted in amusement.

"Bruce..." Kevin muttered sourly.

"And what's the agreement?" Mariah continued, clearly not letting Kevin off the hook.

Kevin gave a long suffering sigh, "I have to do his chores for a month, as well as my own, by myself."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Bruce?" he asked. "You don't mean the guy you called 'Mr Failure' do you?" Kevin nodded miserably prompting a laugh, which was quickly muffled with hands, from Ray. "Ouch," Kai commented. "That's karma for you."

"He has to be nicer to Bruce too," Mariah informed Kai. "Of course, we all found it hilarious."

Kai smirked. "I can imagine." As they neared the village, he started glancing around hesitantly. "Tao's probably gonna pop out from somewhere any minute now."

"And leave us completely confused with some completely random comment, as usual," Ray agreed. "Like bees returning to a hive or something."

"Ah, but bees buzz along casually, while ants always have a destination in mind," Tao announced from where he was sitting on a branch of a tree that stood above the group. He smiled down at the teenagers. "Ants leave the nest to gather what they need, but often return with little to show for it. Just like you young workers, who have come back to the nest in search of what it was you could not find." He laughed. "Am I right as rain?"

Kai sweat dropped. "He's got a screw loose," he muttered.

Ray grinned at Kai before facing Tao. "Actually, to be exact, we found more than we went looking for and that's why we- why I need your help, Sensei."

Tao tapped his stick on the ground thoughtfully then smiled. "Help I shall give. However, this will also be time for the student to educate the master."

"Is he always so...like that?" Cassie asked Mariah in a whisper.

"Every day," Mariah answered while she and her teammates all sweat-dropped. "I've said it before, I'll say it again. I think we need a new Sensei."

Ray glanced at her briefly before focusing on Tao again. "I have got a lot to tell you about. Kai and I have been to the Demon Council."

Tao nodded. "That I am aware of. Fabian paid us a visit just a few days ago, telling me you had been there. However, he insisted that you be the ones to give me the details and not him."

Ray nodded before looking up as a cat ran over to join them. "Hullo, Yin," he greeted, catching her she jumped up to him. "I'll introduce you guys to her when she's more comfortable around you," Ray commented to Tala, Hilary and Cassie. Tao beckoned them to follow him, wanting to get right down to business. They had a lot to talk about. The group followed after him. Mariah spoke with Hilary and Cassie, telling them about Yin, what she was and about how she was shy.

000

Reaching his home, Tao asked to speak with Ray and Kai alone suggesting that the other White Tigers make arrangements for their guests. Mariah took Yin from Ray and headed out the door telling Hilary and Cassie they could stay with her and left Lee, Gary and Kevin with Tala, who took the Russian 'back to base' with them, or in more exact terms, Ray's place. Along the way they informed him it would be the first place Kai and Ray headed once they were done. Ray watched them leave and turned back to face Tao.

Tao sat down and placed his stick across his lap, indicating for the two boys left to sit down in front of him, "Alright. Tell me everything that has happened. Ray, you start."

Ray nodded and thought for a moment before he began to tell Tao all he knew, starting with his encounter with the Panthers and his throwing the bucket at Omar. He told Tao about the first attack of the Tytos, about snapping at Kai in France after receiving the news of his father, about his mood following that up to breaking point with the argument and fight with Kai. Ray's last comments were on the second attack of the Tytos and returning to the Demon Realm and T'rok's advice. "And he said I should come to you," Ray finished.

Tao nodded. "Wise, he is. There is no point in you trying to shape something that is unstable, without guidance. Even if the jigsaw has one mystery piece left to be placed."

**_I swear my brain just died..._**Kai commented through the link. **_Face it, Ray. Your sensei must be on drugs._**

**_Don't forget he taught you too,_** Ray pointed out. **_By the way, what d'you think he'll say if I pull a Tyson by laying it on thick and act like his riddles are stressing me out?_**

**_I think he'll just start spewing more of them,_** Kai replied.

Tao clapped his hands together. "Come now. Don't be so rude and keep your conversations to yourselves. It's nice to share."

"I'm just a little... apprehensive about it all," Ray replied, hesitating as he searched for the appropriate word. It wasn't exactly what he and Kai had been discussing, but it wasn't exactly lying either because it was the reason behind his comment to the Russian. "I'd always had much better control of myself and then that was suddenly gone. I think it's left me feeling a little lost too."

Kai placed a hand on Ray's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Which is why we're here," he said. "You're feeling exactly how I felt after my change. So now I can help you out, like you did me. With Tao's guidance, as confusing as it can be, we'll get you there, Ray."

Tao smiled proudly at his two students. "Well said."

"Thanks," Ray responded sincerely, before laughing a little. "It's funny but Hilary did actually ask how what I was going through was any different to yours. Of course, at the time I had no idea, it was the night before you told me. But of course you'll know how I'm feeling."

Kai smirked a little, removing his hand, "Yeah. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. You'll be fine."

"Right as rain on a summer's day when the snow covers everything and nothing," Tao agreed with a nod.

"..." Kai shook his head and ran a messy hand through his bangs, "Whatever you say, Tao."

"I think I just lost about fifty brain cells," Ray deadpanned quietly. "I think it's something about a reference to order coming out of chaos but I'm too tired for this right now."

"Same," Kai agreed.

"In that case, go and rest," Tao told Ray. "I will speak with Kai and then he will be free to go too. We'll begin training after breakfast tomorrow."

Ray agreed to this and thanked Tao with a respectful bow before leaving with the words 'my place' to Kai as he went. Kai made a small sound of acknowledgement as Ray left and then spoke with Tao for almost another hour, making sure to cover everything that had happened. He spoke of Ray's situation as well as his own, giving Tao enough information to come to a full understanding. When he was satisfied, Tao dismissed Kai and the Russian returned to Ray's place.

000

By the time Kai got to Ray's, the girls were there too, including Kathleen, and the place was quiet. Lee seemed agitated and Ray looked almost like he was caught between feeling guilty and feeling defensive. Mariah and Kevin seemed to be in a state of confused disbelief and Kathleen was looking a little apprehensive. It was hard to read Gary, but he didn't seem to approve of the situation.

Kai raised an eyebrow when he entered, then glanced at Ray. **_How are they taking it?_**

**_Me being full demon isn't really that big a deal because I'm still me. Lee's pissed about the Panthers right now,_** Ray informed Kai.

Kai rolled his eyes. **_Why did you even mention them right now? You know that's bound to set him off._**

**_They wanted to know what's been happening,_** Ray offered with a slight shrug.

"Why, Ray," Lee asked, stressing the why. "Make me understand. After everything they've done, why the hell would you be worried about them? Especially that little runt. You wanted to beat him to a pulp after what he said about Kai!"

"I did throw a bucket of water at him," Ray told Lee earning laughter from Kevin.

"Ray, you're missing the point entirely," Lee pointed out, shooting Kevin a look which meant shut up. "With their track record, after everything they've done to us, to YOU, you're only likely to get hurt by them. Why can't you see that?"

"Kai's already covered it, Lee. I believe they've changed. I can't help how I feel."

"...You've always been so forgiving," Kai mused quietly. "Haven't you..."

"Not so forgiving," Ray replied quietly. "I left my own father in jail when he expected me to bail him out."

Lee scoffed. "He deserves it after the way he crushed you as a child. He deserves a good kick in the teeth to go with it."

"Don't feel bad, Ray. He doesn't deserve you to feel sorry for him, especially if even half the rumours we've heard are true," Kevin commented.

"I don't feel sorry for him. He got arrested for breaching the peace. I wish it was worse so he could rot there. That's what bothers me. I never knew I could hate someone so much." Ray frowned and looked at Kevin, "What rumours?"

"Big mouth," Mariah muttered and Lee nodded in agreement.

"I uh, just remembered, gotta go do Bruce's chores," Kevin commented before sprinting out the door.

Kai folded his arms and leaned back against one of the walls. "Just be careful that your hate doesn't take over, Ray," he advised carefully. "Trust me, it doesn't end well."

Ray nodded a little in understanding. "That's why I told him I never want to see him again."

"As long as you're sure. One hundred per cent."

"I don't. He wasn't there when I wanted him, my uncle was. Then he expected to just walk back into my life and run it. I don't even know the guy, he's a total stranger. I wasn't going to live with a stranger and he couldn't accept that. And it's a funny coincidence that he'd first show any interest in me after our first Russian tournament, don't you think? It's not ME he looks at. He's not my family and I told him that."

Kai was once again reminded of how similar his and Ray's situation was with regards to their fathers. Neither man had been there for them. Both had let down and betrayed them. Ray would never forgive his father. He'd made that clear. And Kai had pointed a gun at his own for crying out loud. Still, at least Susumu seemed to be making an attempt now. Ray's father wasn't. Then again, Ray's father hadn't stood by and done nothing as the mother of his child had been murdered. Kai closed his eyes. He didn't want to make comparisons. Both situations were terrible in their own right. He just wanted what was best for Ray.

Ray turned his head as he felt a small tug on his top and smiled at Yin, who'd taken her human form. "Are you ready to say hello to them?" he asked her and she nodded once. Ray smiled again and told Yin about Tala, Hilary and Cassie. He then faced the others and filled them in, mostly for Tala's benefit because Mariah had told Hilary and Cassie about the child.

"Are there others like her?" Tala asked, looking at Yin. "That you know of?"

"Others like her how?" Ray asked.

"Shape shifters," Tala elaborated.

"I know that there are plenty out there, but Yin's the only one I know personally," Ray answered. "Or if I have met others, I don't know they're capable of it. We can tell humans, demons and half-casts apart, but we can't identify their actual abilities."

"Ah," Tala replied. "I was just curious." He looked back at Yin. "It's nice to meet you," he told her in a friendly tone.

"Hi," Yin responded quietly. Ray told her something quietly and Yin smiled. "Nice to meet you too," she said, seeming to have more confidence and warm up to him.

Tala offered a small smile. "So you're the one Kai has a bit of a soft spot for," he said, glancing at Kai in light teasing. Kai looked away, muttering something under his breath.

Yin giggled and dashed outside, returning a few moments later holding up a wooden model of a cat for them to see. The same one Kai had given her. It had been played with a lot, but taken care of at the same time.

Kai smiled and lifted the little girl up effortlessly into his arms. "I said I'd make you another one when I came back again, didn't I?" he asked her.

"Yup," Yin chirped brightly, smiling widely.

"Well then, how about we have a look for a good piece of wood tomorrow? Then I can get started."

Watching the two, Hilary couldn't help but smile. She'd never seen Kai like this before, and it was wonderful. She'd always known he had a soft side for kids, but this was the first time she'd ever seen him openly show it. Yin actually cheered at the offer, surprising Ray, Mariah, Lee and Gary. It was the first time they'd seen her seem so outgoing.

Kai laughed, forgetting the audience for just a moment. "Okay, we'll do that then. But we'll need a good night's sleep first."

"Okay," Yin agreed with a nod.

Kai smiled again before looking at the others as well. "And I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired."

"I know I am," Ray commented.

"I'll drop Yin off at Huizhong's on the way back," Mariah said as she beckoned the girls to come with her.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Lee stated as he and Gary headed out the door.

"Night gege, night Kai, night Tala," Yin said before wriggling free so she could go with Mariah, Hilary and Cassie.

Once they were all gone, Kai let out a sigh and stretched. "I hope Tao isn't extra wacky tomorrow for training."

Ray grinned a little. "I don't think there's any extra about it. Tao is Tao."

"Do you think he would mind if I came along to watch?" Tala asked. "I'm interested to find out about his training style. I can already tell it'll be very different from what we're used to in the Blitzkrieg Boys."

"We can ask him tomorrow," Ray replied. "I don't see there being a problem." Tala nodded and they started to get ready to turn in.

000

No matter what he did, Kai knew that he would never get over his past. It had a nasty way of catching up with him just when he thought things were starting to improve. He was always left alone. Betrayed. Outcast. Thrown aside like trash.

His grandfather stood above him, cold, merciless eyes staring down at him, straight into his soul. It felt like Voltaire was sucking Kai's energy out of him through eye contact alone.

Everything was Kai's fault. He was weak. He'd failed to see past Voltaire's twisted ambition, letting everyone he cared about down in the process. And his failures hadn't just let down the human world either. The demon realm had also been affected, because he'd been too weak and cowardly to do anything. He was a monster as well. Just like Voltaire.

"I'm waiting to see you prove that you're not like him."

The demon's words echoed in his skull to the point where it was almost painful. What had he ever done to deserve this?!

He'd let everyone down. They'd put their faith in him and he'd wasted it. His teammates cheered him on, only for him to turn around and throw it back in their faces.

Was he really...like his grandfather?!

Kai shook his head. No. He wasn't. He couldn't be! He despised the man with every fibre of his being. The bastard only dying once hadn't been enough!

"You're just like me, Kai," Voltaire's voice spoke in his ear, making Kai jump back in alarm.

"St-stay away from me," Kai growled; his eyes wide. "I'm... I'm nothing like you!"

"Kai."

A sharp gasp left Kai's mouth and he felt a haunting tingle rush through his whole body. That voice...

"M...Mama?"

Kai turned slowly in the darkness, a slight whimper coming from him when he found himself face to face with his mother. The woman's eyes were full of tears, holding both pain and betrayal.

"Kai, why didn't you save me? You could have saved me."

As Kai stared at her, horrified by her words, the hooded demon warped into existence behind him.

"You are like him. His filthy blood runs through your veins. You let your own mother die."

"No I didn't!" Kai yelled, backing away from both of them. He screamed when blood started to run down his mother's face from somewhere in her hairline.

"Kai!"

"Filthy blood."

"You are a weapon!"

"Kai!"

"You might as well be him."

"Do as you're told, grandson!"

"KAI!"

"STOP IT!" Kai screamed. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

000

"Kai!" Ray called in concern, shaking Kai's shoulder but to no avail. "Kai, wake up!"

"Move over," Tala growled, pushing Ray to the side and taking over with trying to wake Kai. When his efforts proved just as futile, the last of Tala's patience disappeared. "Oh, fuck this," he muttered before slapping Kai across the face.

"Tala!" Ray exclaimed, horrified at the Russian's approach. "Don't do that!"

The treatment, harsh as it was, did the trick. Kai's eyes blinked open a second later and turned to look up at Tala and Ray. Kai's body trembled as he tried to catch his breath. "Wh- What?" The stinging pain finally registered and he hesitantly touched his face. "Oww... Did you hit me?"

Ray immediately pointed at Tala. "We tried to wake you, it wasn't working. You were shouting and really distressed," Ray told Kai.

Still holding his abused face with one hand, Kai sat up and shoved Tala away with the other, "Evil son of a bitch."

"It worked didn't it?" Tala shrugged, "Much more effective than Ray just shaking your shoulder and calling your name."

"Hmph," Kai snorted. He lay back down in his bed and turned his back on them both, "Sadistic prick."

"Kai?" Ray asked gently.

The younger Russian let out a quiet sigh, seeming to calm down from his bad mood with Tala. "What, Ray?"

"Are you okay?"

Kai's fist subconsciously clenched around his blanket and he forced it to relax. "...I'm fine."

Ray frowned a little and looked to Tala.

Tala shook his head and sighed in annoyance. "We'll talk in the morning," he told Kai, before returning to his own bed. Kai ignored him. Ray also went back to bed, soon falling into a peaceful sleep again.

000

The next morning Tala and Ray tried again to get Kai to speak, without success, before the group all met for breakfast together. Tao did permit Tala to watch the training which began right away.

"Now my young grasshopper," Tao began, coming to a stop when the small group reached a clearing in the forest about ten minutes out of the village, "Today we are going to focus on the flow of energy." He turned to look at Ray, "I want you to attempt to call upon your power in an attack like the one you described to me." Behind him, the clearing had several training posts dotted around with targets painted on them. "We will work on your range and accuracy using these dummies, to save Kai's face."

"Sensei, don't joke about things like that," Kai said quickly, not wanting Ray to start beating himself up about the whole thing again.

Ray glanced at Kai then at Tao. "Did I mention I have no idea how I did that?" he asked.

"That's what we're going to figure out today," Tao replied, "Through meditation and experimentation. Once you have a full understanding of the unique flow of your energy, it is very easy to focus it where you want it. For example," he pulled a small candle from inside his robe and held it out. "Kai, if you would be so kind?" The Russian nodded and focussed on the candle. A second later the wick caught and a small flame appeared.

"I can do energy bursts, but they're completely ineffective and a waste of energy," Ray commented. "When I did it before," Ray glanced momentarily at Kai, "I was aiming to punch and it just happened... Maybe if I combine the two..."

"Experimentation," Tao nodded, extinguishing the flame with a flick of the candle.

Ray turned to the nearest post and spent a moment concentrating first before throwing a punch charged with energy. The purpose of the exercise was to learn to control his power, so Ray had made sure he was far away from it that his fist wouldn't connect with the target. A few splinters fell from the sides of the post a moment after his strike, but nothing more.

"That's a start in the right direction," Tao praised. "Unless you have no sense of direction and intend to go the other way."

"It doesn't feel the same," Ray replied, looking at Tao. "When it happened; my arm felt heavy. But just now there was no change."

"You did only just start," Kai spoke up. "It's gonna take time."

Ray nodded a little before trying again. As the day wore on, Ray was no closer to performing the same technique he'd accidentally used on Kai, and had only succeeded in draining his energy considerably. Most of the energy scattered off target and what did make it through to hit the post was too small to do any more than chip at the post.

Frustration started to set in and Ray was beginning to lose patience with it. If he couldn't figure out how to do it deliberately then there was less chance to prevent it accidentally. Ray considered stopping and trying to calm down, but he quickly pushed the idea aside. He wanted to learn to control it. He needed to learn.

He tried again, noticing the familiar weight in his arm, before dropping to a crouch and panting. The post was still standing, but bore the distinctive marks from the energy attack as scratches.

"That's it!" Tao chimed from where he was sitting on a rock. "You're starting to get the hang of it now. Remember that feeling."

"Annoyed?" Ray asked breathlessly in reference to the feeling. He was annoyed at the training when it worked and he'd been annoyed at Kai when it first happened. **_Do I have to get mad for it to work? Or is that only because I haven't learned to control it yet?_**

**_Personally I don't think anger is the solution for you,_** Kai communicated through the link. **_It's not in your nature._**

Ray started a little and looked over at Kai. **_You're right, but what can I do? It didn't work until I got annoyed. What use is that to me?_**

**_To be honest, I think you're trying too hard. Take a break and think about how you've overcome problems like this before. Clear your head._**

"But if I don't learn to control it-" Ray began to respond out loud before catching himself, **_I could end up hurting someone again. I don't want that to happen,_** Ray shifted from crouching to sitting and thought about it quietly. "It's gone now," he realised. **_Finding it the first time was exhausting. And it didn't do much even when I did. But you're right. You're absolutely right. Getting mad won't help me and I do need to clear my head._** Ray shifted again to make sure he was comfortable and closed his eyes, taking deep, steady breaths and concentrating on that.

Leaving Ray in peace, Kai and Tala moved away to the far side of the clearing to do some quiet training of their own. After his meditation; Ray was still unsuccessful in his attempts, as he didn't have the energy for the technique, and Tao decided it was enough for the day so they headed back.

000

A few days passed with a very similar routine until Ray finally made a breakthrough; managing to use the technique whilst calm. It was nowhere near as effective as when he'd first used it, but he'd at least made a controlled start. Kai wandered into the clearing to see how Ray was doing and stopped several feet away. "How's it going?"

"I've made a start," Ray answered. "The energy's still too dispersed to do much, but I'm managing to access it now."

Kai nodded. "Just be careful you don't push yourself too hard," he advised. "It takes time and practice." He smirked slightly as he recalled a memory of his training, "You have no idea how sick I was of the sight of candles for a while when I was learning control."

Ray grinned a little, "Did you want to just go and trash them with your hands instead of trying to use your powers?"

"You have no idea," Kai replied. "I wanted to throw them away off the nearest cliff."

Ray laughed. **_And Tao's mannerisms had nothing to do with that?_**

Kai glanced around to make sure Tao wasn't nearby. "There were times I wanted to throw him off the cliff too," he muttered. Ray couldn't help but laugh at Kai's comment. "You're laughing, but I'm serious," Kai told him. "I don't know how you've kept your sanity, with him as a sensei since you were a kid."

Ray only laughed harder. **_Maybe it's because he's been my sensei that long,_** he mused over the link because he was unable to voice it with his laughter. **_I got used to it at an early age?_**

Kai grunted. "That's an unfair advantage," he grumbled.

"Maybe you're just too uptight," Ray teased playfully when he'd calmed enough to speak.

Kai rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Ray recalled teasing Kai before and being thumped for it in a playful manner. Kai's reaction this time was more like it would have been when they first met. He wondered for a moment if it was because of their fight. Had he severed the closeness that they'd had before? But then, Kai had made a point to stop Tao's joking about the fight. "Has something happened?" Ray asked after a moment's thought.

Kai sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I guess you could say that."

"Is it something you can talk about?" Ray asked.

"Mm," Kai nodded. He looked away, as if trying to decide whether or not he wanted to tell Ray what was bothering him. "Have... Have you ever heard of a demon losing their power before?"

"Losing their power?" Ray asked in surprise before thinking about it, "Heard of it, yeah. It's a rare occurrence, but it has happened before. I'm afraid I don't know any details on it though, sorry. Why?"

Kai's gaze lowered to the floor as he fiddled with something in one of his pockets, "D'you remember what Tao got me to show you the other day before you started training? With the candle."

"Yeah," Ray answered with a nod.

Sighing, Kai pulled a small white candle out of his pocket and held it up for them both to look at. It was obvious it hadn't been lit. "That's what's wrong," Kai admitted, "I can't do it now."

Ray frowned at the candle before looking at Kai worriedly, "But that's like basic stuff to you. You're not sick or anything, are you?"

"Not that I know of," Kai answered, putting the candle back in his pocket. "I've been getting some annoying little headaches over the last few days, but nothing major."

"Tell me about the headaches. Do they get worse each time?"

"A bit," Kai admitted quietly.

"There's probably something up then," Ray told Kai. "You say nothing major, but you have a habit of ignoring problems. You ignored knotted muscles, which were probably caused by stress, and they hurt for a reason. The pain usually means that there's something wrong."

Kai looked away, much like a scorned child would. "You know I'm not a good patient..." he muttered in an attempt at self-defence.

"Does Tala know?" Ray asked. Kai shook his head after a moment of hesitation. "You don't want him to know?" Ray guessed.

Kai snorted. "After the way he was in Scotland; hell no."

"He worries about you because he cares. We all do. But if you don't want him to know then I won't tell him," Ray assured Kai.

"Thanks," Kai said sincerely. "I promise I'll tell him if it gets any worse."

"There's always a chance that you're worried or stressed out about something and that's affecting your power. Just try to take it easy and see if that helps."

The Russian sighed and nodded. "Alright, I'll give that a shot. How much longer are you gonna be out here anyway?"

"A few hours yet. I really want to learn to control this," Ray answered. He didn't go into details about why because he knew Kai was aware of how much the slip had bothered him.

"Okay," Kai replied, turning away. "Just don't forget to stop and come back."

Ray smiled, "I won't forget." Kai raised a hand over his shoulder in acknowledgement and then disappeared.

Ray shook his head a little and decided he'd had enough of a break before going back to training.

000

"What do you think of our hometown then, Tala?" Mariah asked the redhead as she started preparing dinner, knowing Ray wouldn't be much longer and would probably be tired when he got back. "Now that you've been here for a few days and had the chance to see more of it," she added. Yin was on the floor nearby; humming to herself as she played with the model cat Kai had given her. She still didn't talk much to other people but it seemed she didn't mind being around people who Ray said were good.

"It's nice," Tala replied, glancing around the room. "Quiet. Simple." He smirked slightly. "It almost seems unnatural to me if I'm honest." He looked back at Mariah. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not disrespecting your home."

Mariah smiled a little as she looked at him, "It's okay. I know not a lot happens around here. It's one of the reasons Ray likes to get out now and then. There was a time when we actually weren't allowed to go far. Imagine how that would have been."

Tala raised an eyebrow. "I spent a long time in Biovolt. I was lucky to see natural light once a week. It was all cold, dark tunnels and haunting artificial strip lights."

"That's definitely worse," Mariah commented. "I couldn't bear that. How did you manage?"

"Simple," Tala replied. "We didn't have a choice."

"What about family?" Mariah asked before realising what she'd said, "I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that."

"...It's fine," Tala said after a moment, "...Family hasn't been an option until recently."

"Do you mind me asking what you mean by that?" Mariah asked curiously.

Tala laced his fingers together in front of him. A long moment passed before he decided to speak. "My mother is in hiding..." he told Mariah quietly. "Last time I checked, she was staying in a small town in Switzerland."

"So does that mean you're considering visiting her?" Mariah asked referring to the fact that Tala had said family wasn't an option until recently.

The Russian nodded. "It has crossed my mind."

Mariah smiled, "I think that's great," she commented. "Are you gonna take Cassie with you?"

"Possibly," Tala replied. "But I've got a lot of things to figure out first before I consider something that far down the line."

Mariah nodded understandingly. "So, what's she like?" she asked, still curious.

Yin had stopped humming and was looking at the door. "Gege," she murmured before getting up and dashing out the door. Moments later she could be heard squealing with laughter.

Tala looked towards the door. "Sounds like Ray's back," he commented, subtly changing the subject.

"Yeah," Mariah agreed, accepting the change in topic. "Cassie and Hilary should be getting back soon too from their walk."

Tala nodded. "That just leaves Kai. But I have no idea where he's wandered off to."

"He's seemed a little different lately," Mariah mused aloud, "But I can't figure out why. Mind you, Ray's seemed a little different too. And I don't mean the whole becoming full demon thing. It's like he's hiding something."

"And he's not telling you anything?" Tala guessed.

"No, he's not," Mariah confirmed. "I know something happened, something more than what we've been told, I just can't figure out what. Do you have any ideas about what it could be, Tala?"

"No clue. Kai's not telling me anything either."

"I think it's something to do with India," Mariah commented thoughtfully. "It's while Ray was telling us about that when I noticed it. And he knew what sort of reaction he'd get if he mentioned the Panthers, but he did it anyway."

"We'll just have to ask them," Tala mused. "You're more likely to get an answer than me though."

"Well, Lee's planning to corner Ray about it at some point. He wants to let Ray get the hang of his current training first though," Mariah told Tala quietly before turning to the door with a bright smile as it opened. "Welcome back, Ray, how's the training going?"

"I'm making progress with it, thanks," Ray answered as he came in with Yin on his shoulders. "You don't have to do that," he commented as he noticed what Mariah was doing.

"It's okay, I want to," Mariah responded. "I figured you could use the rest."

"Well, thanks," Ray replied, lifting Yin from his shoulders and setting her on her feet on the floor. "No sign of Kai?" he asked, glancing around.

"Not yet," Tala shook his head. "And he'll just yell at me if I go looking for him."

"Maybe I could try," Ray suggested.

"Good luck," Tala snorted in light amusement. Ray decided not to comment, waving briefly as he left and responding that he wouldn't when Mariah called after him not to be too long. He then went in search of Kai.

000

Despite what Tala seemed to have believed, Kai wasn't actually trying to hide. Frustrated by his training and the sudden unpredictability of his energy, he'd given up for the time being and found a large tree with wide branches to sit in. It hung over the river just down from the falls, and Kai enjoyed watching the water flow past under him, reflecting all the colours in the sky. Tiny flecks of wood were dropped down to create small ripples every now and then as he carved away at what was going to be the second cat figurine for Yin.

"Hey Kai, how's it going?" Ray called up from below when he found the Russian.

Kai blinked and glanced down, then cursed as he cut his finger with his knife because he hadn't been paying attention. "Hey, Ray," he called back before sucking on the wound, "You done training?"

"Yeah, that's me for the day," Ray answered, "Sorry I disturbed you there."

"It's fine," Kai shrugged, inspecting his finger. He frowned slightly. It wasn't healing. "I just wish I knew what was going on..."

"Well, as I said before, you might be stressed about something. Mariah took it upon herself to make dinner tonight and it's going to be ready soon. You wanna come back?"

"Yeah, sure," Kai replied, putting away his knife and the carving. He then walked back along the branch he'd been on until he was over solid ground and back-flipped out of the tree.

"You know what Tyson would say if he was here," Ray commented. Kai raised an eyebrow curiously. "Aw, come on, you know this," Ray stated, clearly amused, "He'd call you a show off for doing that."

Kai smirked. "He really is one to talk, you know."

Ray laughed. "He's just jealous because he lacks any style," he joked.

"He can't be best at everything," Kai agreed with a nod.

"We're terrible!" Ray commented through his laughter

"Yeah, but who cares? It's fun."

"Kai and fun. And to think we all used to call you the Sourpuss," Ray teased.

Kai rolled his eyes. "What can I say? You guys have rubbed off on me," he answered and Ray grinned before starting to head back. Kai followed, still focussed on his finger as the stubborn cut refused to stop bleeding.

"You know Tala's gonna notice," Ray commented.

"Hn," Kai grunted. "Well he'd better keep his opinions to himself."

"He's going to worry about you," Ray pointed out. "I really am sorry for that. I should have paid closer attention to what you were doing before calling out to you."

Kai shrugged. "Forget about it. It's just an annoying little cut."

By the time they reached Ray's place, all the others had already arrived and they were just waiting on Kai and Ray. Tala did notice the cut and immediately asked about it since Kai could normally heal such things in little time. Kai however chose to ignore Tala's question and instead thanked Mariah for preparing dinner and apologising for being late and causing Ray to have to go out and look for him. His finger was taken care of with a piece of medical tape from Kai's bag.

The evening passed without further incident and the girls headed back to Mariah's, the rest of Ray's team went off to Gary's and Tala, Kai and Ray turned in for the night shortly after. Yin had already been taken home.

000

There was no face on the woman, at least not that he could see, and Ray knew that it was because he didn't remember her so well anymore. He regretted that, not remembering what his mother's face looked like. He remembered the softness of her voice, her scent and how she would tell him that it wasn't his fault that Baba was gone. He remembered the blanket of fine black hair which his own resembled when down, something he both liked and hated at the same time.

It was sometimes embarrassing for it to be so long, people often thought it feminine and that aggravated him. But he couldn't bring himself to cut it, or to even trim it down to a length more like Lee's. Ray had let people think it was solely to keep it traditional. It was so much easier that way. He remembered the warmth of his mother's hugs and how she would hold him after every bad dream, assuring him that he was safe and sound.

He remembered all that, but not her face.

Ray wished dearly that he'd had a picture of her or something. Even a painting or sketch. He'd tried several times in the past to draw her for himself, but the only art that he was really any good at was the cooking that his uncle taught him.

So he wasn't really good at everything. Hiro's words came back to Ray, that rainy night when he faced the older male in Tyson's place. Back when Hiro was under the guise Jin of the Gale. Some disguise. Ray scoffed at the memory. Tyson had been clueless and they'd played along. After all, it had seemed that Hiro wanted Tyson to work it out for himself.

That stormy night Hiro had told Ray that to be good at everything meant he'd never be great anything.

Ray wasn't good at everything. But what was he great at, if anything?

Not his training right now. He was still frustrated at his shortcomings with that. And certainly not remembering his mother's face. Ray loved her. Missed her. So why couldn't he remember what she'd looked like?

What sort of son forgot what his own mother looked like?

What did he remember though? Right now? Besides what he'd already considered.

It was her lying on a bed in a darkened room with a damp cloth on her forehead. She'd been tossing and turning with the fever, not that Ray had known that back then, and the cloth had moved to obscure her face.

She called out weakly for Hal and the man had come and held her hand, stroking her cheek and adjusting the cloth.

This was the memory that Ray had of his mother. The clearest one. But when the cloth had been readjusted, Ray's father was in the way and so Ray still couldn't see her face.

She said something to Hal about Ray and he remembered how he'd perked up at hearing his name as he watched from a small stool across the room. He'd been told to stay out of the way of the grownups. Despite her words the man hadn't acknowledged Ray at all. His mother had told Ray that this was his father, but the man had acted as though Ray didn't even exist.

Ray remembered how crushed he'd felt at that.

Over the next few days Ray had tried to get his father to like him, or at least pay some attention to him. But Hal didn't care how much firewood Ray could bring in, or that he'd gotten a splinter in his finger from doing it. Hal didn't care how early Ray fetched some water for the house, even if he fell in the river and had to try bring some back five times because he kept spilling it.

Nothing Ray had done had been good enough for Hal, but it hadn't mattered much because the man wasn't even disappointed in him. He didn't react at all.

Ray remembered his parents speaking and his father mentioning a name, a woman's name, which wasn't hers. It wasn't the name Ray's uncle called her, and it wasn't the name the other villagers called her. She was "Mama" to Ray, but she had a different name to everyone else. Even Hal called her by that name. But that wasn't the one he mentioned to her then. She'd gotten rather upset with Hal from what he'd said, but the only name mentioned, which Ray remembered, was his uncle Stan's, when Hal responded angrily to his wife's comments.

Ray had never heard the woman speak as harshly as she did to Hal after that and she sent the man out before beckoning Ray to her. She'd held Ray in her arms and cried, brushing her fingers through his hair. Ray hadn't understood any of it but he had cried too because she was his whole world and he didn't like that she was sad.

They'd both fallen asleep like that, but she didn't wake up the next day like Ray had. No matter how much the child cried and begged and shook her shoulder.

Hal had been furious when he came in to the sound of a panicked child shouting for help and had shoved Ray aside angrily.

000

Ray started awake with a soft noise of surprise just as his dream-self hit the floor. It was dark. He was in his own bunk, sharing it for the moment with Tala and Kai. The one his uncle Stan had left to him. Ray hadn't been back to his parents' house in a long time. No one else lived there either. It was simply used as a storage space by Ray, even though it had been his uncle who'd last put things in there. He'd been remembering his past in a dream, nothing more.

And he did remember his mother's face. He looked more like her than his father. Even his eyes were more like hers. Hal looked much like his brother Stan, only more ragged, while Ray's mother had a much softer look to her. Her eyes were light while Hal's were dark like Stan's, but they were still a lighter yellow than Ray's were. Meiling. He remembered her name too.

Ray swore quietly and wiped his face angrily as he realised he'd been crying in his sleep.

He quickly and quietly got up and left the single-roomed building for some air. The night air was cold compared to his bed and Ray wrapped his arms around himself as he sat on a log, staring at the starry sky and thinking about his dream.

There had been something between Stan, Hal and Meiling, but Ray didn't know what. From his dreams, his memories, Ray suspected that his father had cheated on Meiling, but Ray knew not to rely on his recollections as fact. Time warped memories and he hadn't understood much at the time. But Ray decided he would ask his uncle about it when next he saw him.

"Ray?" Kai's voice asked quietly as the Russian stepped outside.

Ray turned his head a little, "Yeah, Kai?"

Kai walked over to stand next to Ray, "Something on your mind?"

"A few things," Ray confirmed, "My parents, some suspicions and questions. Did I disturb you guys?"

Kai shook his head. "I just woke up and saw you were gone. And Tala's lying there awake thinking he says."

"How long's he been awake?" Ray asked a little worried; the thought of either of them knowing that he'd been crying left Ray feeling rather embarrassed. It was the reason he hadn't faced Kai fully.

"Just a few minutes," Kai answered. "He says he sensed movement and then accused me of waking him...Asshole."

"That must have been me," Ray commented sheepishly. "I came outside because I didn't want to disturb either of you."

Kai shrugged. "Don't worry about it. It's fine."

Ray bit his lip a little before facing Kai, "I had a dream about her, Ma-my mother. I remembered a few things. About the last time I saw her. I've got a few questions so I wanna see my uncle again. I think I'll go do that when I've gotten the hang of this training. You don't mind, do you?"

"Of course not," Kai said, a little shocked that Ray seemed to think he needed to ask. "You do what you have to do."

"I know there's a lot of other stuff going on," Ray commented, "With the demon council having problems. I do wanna help with that."

"I can keep you posted if necessary," Kai told him.

"Thanks Kai," Ray responded sincerely before facing forward again. The moon was bright and bathed the village in a soft, pale glow, while the trees and buildings casted long, really dark shadows across the ground.

Kai stood quietly, listening to the sounds of the night. As he did, he carefully removed the tape round his finger to check the wound. Annoyingly, it was still there. But when the moonlight caught it, the wound glowed dimly and began to close up. Kai's eyes widened slightly as he lifted his finger to examine it more closely. Then the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly stood on end and he turned sharply to stare at the edge of the village.

Ray stood up and turned, scanning the area. "Kai?" he asked, concerned and wanting to be sure he wasn't imagining it.

Kai pulled out his knife from his belt and gripped it tightly in his hand, ready. **_Something's here,_** he told Ray over the link.

"I don't see anything yet," Ray commented. "Wait... did that shadow just move?"

Kai felt a growing sense of dread settle in his stomach as the grip on his knife tightened. **_Get the others. Now. Wake everyone!_** A thick, black smoke rose up out of the bushes and began to float towards the two boys. Kai's eyes widened. "Go, Ray!" he shouted. "Now, before the smoke cuts you off!"

"What are you going to do?" Ray asked.

Kai adjusted his footing slightly. "I'm going to give them something to hunt, until you get backup." With that, he ran forward into the smoke and disappeared.

"Kai!" Ray shouted after him before gritting his teeth and looking at the approaching smoke. "Get the others, right," Ray murmured to himself before rushing past the smoke, toward the other houses.

"What the hell is going on?" Tala demanded as he appeared outside, spotting Ray and moving to run with him.

"The village is under attack and we need to raise the alarm. Kai's gone in there to buy time," Ray answered, gesturing to the smoke but keeping up his speed.

Tala skidded to an abrupt halt. "That idiot!" he exclaimed, before focussing. "Wolborg, come forth!" Within a few seconds, the large ice wolf shimmered into existence in front of him. "The village is threatened," Tala told him. "Warn everyone and defend it!"

The wolf nodded and threw his head back in a long, deep howl. The note echoed off the mountains and bounced back to the village. Birds took to the air in alarm and Tala turned back to go and help Kai.

For a moment, Ray was distracted by Wolborg. Back in Scotland he'd thought for a moment that Wolborg had taken physical form, but dismissed it. Now he was certain of it. Tala could do it too. Ray had to duck out of the way of some of the suspicious, heavy smoke and it was enough to set him back on course. He had to help wake the others.

000

Lee growled as he stepped outside, sensing a presence that didn't belong in the valley. But it was difficult to pin point where it was coming from. It seemed to be everywhere. "Ray!" he gasped when he spotted the other boy approaching. "Is it an attack?"

Ray nodded as he stopped and glanced back. "That smoke's not natural," he commented, gesturing to it. Something's in there. Kai and Tala are trying to stall it. Kai wants backup." More of the villagers were already starting to emerge from their homes, including the other White Tigers, Kathleen, Hilary and Cassie. Lee quickly announced what Ray had just told them, and everyone started preparing to fight. Mariah instantly went over to Ray, eager to fight by his side. With the backup, Ray headed back up to find Kai. But to do so he and the others had to enter the smokescreen, through which it was impossible to see but they knew their way around the village easily. Ray's heightened senses were a distinct advantage in the mysterious smoke.

000

"Son of a bitch!" Kai shouted as something slashed at the side of his left thigh, retreating back into the smoke before he could get it with his knife. Kai was fighting completely blind, so had his eyes closed in an attempt to focus his other senses. His power had returned, but it seemed to be wavering a lot and he was struggling to use it successfully. He'd faced these creatures once before, but it certainly wasn't giving him an advantage.

They were called Shadow Stalkers and were often referred to as 'the last thing their victims never saw.' They appeared to be dog-like creatures with six legs and thick, shaggy black fur. Special glands on their sides and throat allowed them to dispel large amounts of thick, black smoke that was formed inside their bodies. Red eyes picked out other creatures from their heat signatures within the smoke, allowing the Shadow Stalkers to hunt without the use of normal eyesight. A formidable foe, with six long clawed toes on each paw and two rows of dagger like teeth. Their only known weakness was light, but even the full moon was too weak to keep them at bay.

Hearing the ground being disturbed to his right, Kai leapt out of the way and rolled across the ground, narrowly missing being hit. Getting up again, he stood silently, listening for any other clues. He remembered reading something about Shadow Stalkers one time in the library in the Demon Realm. Apparently they had very low body temperatures and so were unable to track each other within their own smoke. To make up for this problem, they'd developed a form of communication using clicks and low, toneless trills. Kai could hear them now and figured they were probably preparing for another attack. He'd already established that there were five of them, but that didn't really help matters. He was outnumbered, almost completely powerless and surrounded.

"Kai?" Tala's voice called out somewhere nearby.

"Tala!" Kai gasped, crashing to the ground when his feet were knocked out from under him. He jumped up again quickly. "Stay back. It's too dangerous in here! There's no light or wind to counter the smoke!"

"What have you been told about trying to do everything on your own?!" Tala's voice snapped back.

"This isn't the time for arguing!" Kai snarled. "Get me a light source to burn through this smoke." Above the village, more creatures started to descend from the sky to join the attack.

"Where the hell am I supposed to find that in this?!" Tala exclaimed, dodging one attack to come closer to Kai. He grunted as something collided with him and it was followed by a scuffle on the ground. "Ray! Get off me!" Tala suddenly snapped, trying to knock the Chinese teen away from him. "What the hell is your problem!?"

Kai cursed as he was caught again by a set of claws, this time in his right arm. "What's going on?" he demanded.

"Ah! Fuck! Ray's attacking me; that's what's going on!" Tala snarled, managing to knock Ray back, though Ray fell against Kai in the process.

Caught off guard, Kai crashed to the ground. Around him he could hear the clicking of the Shadow Stalkers. They were obviously re-evaluating the situation. Kai grabbed Ray's arm. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Taking him down," Ray answered, trying to pull free.

"What?! Why?"

"Let go," Ray snapped at Kai before using the technique with his power again, directed toward Tala who swore vehemently when the technique actually worked.

"Kai, he's lost it!" Tala snapped angrily, "Again!"

Kai was about to protest, but cried out when claws dug into his back and pulled him away from Ray. Kai swung his knife back desperately, feeling relief when it connected with its target and the claws let go. He staggered to his feet. "Ray. Stop." Ray paid no attention to Kai whatsoever and continued his assault on the redhead without another word, much to the older Russian's annoyance. Beyond irritated, Tala violently fought back.


	12. Chapter 11

Author Note: Rangerapprentice and Shiningheart of ThunderClan are the only ones who reviewed. That's a huge disappointment. Really not motivated to keep up with this now. Sure, we haven't been able to get much up because Phoenix hasn't been available to write, but I did say there would be delays.

Between Two Realms will not be updated again until after we have minimum total of 50 reviews. That means 12 reviews need to be posted before Dragon will even think about updating again. It doesn't mean 12 people have to review. You can review more than one chapter.

Anyone reviewing EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER of both this and Cold Competition can request a fanart picture by Dragon too. Though it's preferred if you review Cold Competition on the Cold Competition website.

We can't update as frequently, but we do still want the feedback.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Eleven

Ray grunted as he was knocked to the ground again and scrabbled back up to his feet with a growl, baring his teeth and panting slightly. "Enough!" Kai shouted. A wave of energy rolled out of him and swept back the smoke, causing the Shadow Stalkers to retreat. Kai took a few breaths and looked at Ray and Tala, "What the fuck is going on?! I'm sick of asking!"

"He was up to something," Ray answered, looking at Kai and pointing at Tala. "You can't trust him."

"Can't trust ME?! I'M not the one who's just flipped his lid," Tala snapped, "That's you. And you better get a hold of yourself or I'm gonna have to seriously hurt you."

"What d'you- Of course I can trust him! That's Tala, for crying out loud!"

"No it's not," Ray responded.

Kai blinked, turning his head to look at Tala. "Say what?"

"That's an imposter," Ray told Kai while Tala gave the other Russian a what-the-fuck look.

Kai's eyes narrowed at Tala. As unbelievable as it may have sounded, Kai trusted Ray's senses and judgement. "A shape-shifter?" he asked quietly.

"I know this will sound weird, but he smells wrong," Ray told Kai quietly.

Kai nodded his head ever so slightly, feeling his power coming back up to a more normal level again. **_I trust you, Ray,_** throwing his arm forward; Kai sent a line of fire at Tala.

"Kai! What the fuck?!" Tala exclaimed, jumping out of the way only to have Ray collide with him again. "Stop it, Ray!" Tala snarled.

**_I can handle this, Ray. You go find the real Tala._**

Ray looked at Kai and then moved away from Tala before the other could attack him. Tala looked at Kai. "Kai, you KNOW me! And you know how unstable he is!"

A loud shot cut through the air as something hit the imposter in the shoulder. The real Tala then appeared, gun raised, eyes sharp with hate and blood running down the side of his head. Wolborg appeared behind him as he moved, snarling furiously. "Stay back," Tala told Kai. "He's mine."

"Up so soon?" the fake Tala asked, facing the redhead. His cover was already blown and having no further use for the disguise; he returned to his normal form. It was humanoid with grey skin, no hair and pale eyes, almost like a blank canvas. "Usually they stay unconscious for longer."

"Ha. Not this one," Tala sneered. His eyes narrowed further and he pulled the trigger. Again and again. Four, five, six shots. Each connecting with the shape-shifter's body. The legs. Arms. Torso. And with each shot the look in Tala's eyes grew more and more sinister.

The shape-shifter collapsed to the ground but then a tiger leapt at Tala, only to be knocked off-course by Driger and the orange tiger transformed into another being like the one who had impersonated Tala. They were quickly followed by several others who took the form of powerful animals to give themselves an advantage, forcing the group to split up to deal with them.

Soon the entire village was in chaos. Demons were coming from all angles and there seemed to be no end to them. Wolborg devoured two of the Shadow Stalkers, leaving the remaining three to retreat somewhere into the forest. Dranzer joined the fray when Kai realised that his own power was still fluctuating. At least Dranzer was reliable. Kai kept Black Dranzer at bay though, despite the dark bit beast's attempts at breaking free. Fires burned all around and the wind rushing down through the valley only made things worse.

Having been training all day and then waking as he had, Ray's energy was too low to maintain Driger's presence and he had to dismiss the tiger, soon reaching a point where he was unable to use his powers too and Ray soon got into trouble. Exhausted, he crouched down to try and recover and was prone to attack when a Shadow Stalker moved in. Several ghostly balls of fire appeared around Ray, cutting the Shadow Stalker off, before Yin dashed over in front of Ray in her cat form and hissed at Shadow Stalker. The Shadow Stalker snarled and swiped at the balls of fire, easily dispelling them because Yin was too young for her powers to be very effective and Ray quickly scooped Yin up to shelter her.

A pink beyblade flew through the air and hit the Shadow Stalker in the shoulder, before lighting up as a large mountain cat rushed out. "Galux, attack!" Mariah commanded, while she rushed to Ray and Yin. "Are you two alright?" she asked quickly while keeping an eye out for any threats.

"Yeah," Ray replied, relieved. "Thanks, Mariah."

Mariah helped Ray to his feet, slinging one of his arms round her shoulders. "We need some kind of plan, Ray. We're seriously outnumbered. Gary and Kevin are helping evacuate the villagers who are unable to fight to a safer location and Lee's dealing with more enemies on the other side of the village."

"They just completely caught us off guard," Ray commented as he looked around trying to think of something, "We don't even know what they want. And one of those shape-shifters took Tala's shape. They looked like him, sounded like him, behaved like him, they even had his memories. The only reason I knew it wasn't him was because of Kai heightening my senses."

"What's up with Kai anyway?" Mariah asked. "I can sense his power levels. They're all over the place."

Ray sighed, "I shouldn't really say," he commented, "And we don't really know what's causing it, but he has had a few problems with it."

Mariah swallowed, suddenly feeling even more anxious. Ray was exhausted and Kai apparently wasn't in full control his powers. The two strongest fighters currently in the village, both at distinct disadvantages. "Talk about bad timing..." Mariah murmured before moving away with Ray and Yin as the fighting started getting a bit too close.

"You're right though, we need some kind of plan," Ray told her, "But I can't think of one."

"We need someone to draw them away from the village," Tala called, having heard Ray's words. He took another couple of shots at the enemy and sent Wolborg into battle once again. "It'll be destroyed if we don't!"

"And the bait?" Ray asked, looking around at the chaos. So far it was hard to say what exactly the attackers were after. They didn't seem to be trying to pursue anyone. If they weren't chasing anyone how could they get them to follow? "Mariah, I need you to take Yin to safety."

"What are you going to do?" the girl asked.

"Whatever I can," Ray answered. "Maybe I can get them mad or something."

Mariah knew there was no point in arguing. If they wanted to protect their village then they had to take risks. "Just be careful," she told Ray. "Come on sweetie," she said as she picked Yin up and hurried away, dodging through all the fighting.

000

Ray moved away from the main fighting, to an area where he could quickly leave the village that wouldn't lead anywhere near the other villagers. He then launched his beyblade and directed it to move quickly, hitting as many of the attackers as possible and then moving on to the next one. Even that took a great deal of energy which Ray wasn't sure he even had.

Not far from Ray, Kai cursed as he was thrown back against the stone wall of the well. He shook his head quickly to try and clear it, before having to roll out of the way as his attacker charged. Getting back on his feet he whipped his knife out and stabbed it into the back of the demon's neck, twisting it to finish it off quickly. His power was still fluctuating, leaving Kai with no other choice than to depend on his natural fighting ability. But that on top of maintaining Dranzer's physical form was draining his energy reserves significantly. And Black Dranzer was still determined to break out and join the battle.

Sensing another enemy approaching, Kai spun round and caught the face in his hand. He managed to muster just enough power to blast the demon in the face, scorching its eyes and leaving it to stagger back and scream in pain. There seemed to be no end to them.

Despite his efforts, Ray wasn't making much headway in drawing attention to himself and even went to the effort of calling out to the enemy with a number of taunts and insults. Whatever they'd come for, they were clear of it and weren't being swayed from it.

As the battle raged on Hilary darted through the village, anxiously searching for Kai. A terrible heaviness had settled in her stomach and she just knew that something terrible was about to happen. Above her Dranzer was busy engaging the winged demons, while Wolborg was doing what he could on the ground. But they were struggling now, visibly running out of energy. They couldn't keep this up for much longer.

_Come on!_ Hilary shouted inwardly. _Keep going. There has to be a way you can-_ "Ahh!" she cried out as an enemy demon used some kind of attack to destroy one of the buildings, sending Hilary flying with the shock waves. She crashed to the floor and lay there for a few seconds before forcing herself back onto her feet. _You're always telling the guys to never give up. So now it's time for you to do the same._ She started running again, feeling the heat of the fires licking at her face and legs as she moved, smoke and dust clinging to her skin and clothes.

Up ahead; an explosion of dark power rushed up into the air, followed seconds later by a haunting bellow. Hilary knew what it was without even having to look, Black Dranzer. Kai had obviously just run out of energy to suppress the dark Phoenix. "Kai!" Hilary yelled, finally arriving in the small clearing on the edge of the village where Kai was battling. He was up against several large demons and, though he appeared to be holding his ground, he was clearly struggling. Above him, Black Dranzer moved around unguided.

Hilary gritted her teeth. She had to do something. The times where she sat back and watched the boys doing all the fighting were gone. Now, it was time to join the battle. She could do it. She had made a connection with Black Dranzer that time back in Russia. She maybe couldn't control him, but she could certainly influence him into helping. She had to.

"Hey, Black Dranzer!" she shouted, glaring up at the huge beast. "Listen up!"

The dark Phoenix growled as he looked down on her. **_You again. What do you want, girl?!_**

Hilary placed a hand on her chest. "I want you to help me," she told him without fear. "You've been waiting for ages to have a fight. Well now's your chance. But you can't do it alone. Team up with me!"

Black Dranzer let out a snort of amusement, **_You?! What can you do? You're just a plain, ordinary human. What can you possibly give me that I don't already have?_**

Hilary opened her arms wide. "My energy!" she declared. "Kai doesn't have enough for both you and Dranzer. I may not look very strong, but don't underestimate me so easily! Together we can crush these demons!"

Black Dranzer laughed. **_I admire your courage, if nothing else,_** he commented wickedly. **_Alright then, girl. Since you're so eager to prove yourself, accept me!_**

Hilary gasped as she felt a pulse of energy sink into her body, festering in her very core like a ball of hot power. The sensation was exhilarating, but also terrifying. She gagged for a moment as the power almost overwhelmed her then swallowed and stood tall. She could feel the dark energy of Black Dranzer coursing through her veins. Was this what it was like to fight with a bit beast partner?

**_Well then, girl,_** Black Dranzer snarled. **_Do you really have what it takes to guide me?_**

Hilary frowned and clenched her fists. "My name is Hilary," she replied sharply. "And don't you forget it." Raising her arm, she pointed to a group of enemy demons. "Black Dranzer, ATTACK!"

**_YES!_** the phoenix roared, drawing strength from her determination and anger. He charged head on into the battle, causing the very earth to shake as he landed and went for his prey.

Kicking back the demons attacking him, Kai looked round and gasped. "Hil-Hilary?" He couldn't believe his eyes. Hilary fighting. With Black Dranzer?! Was she CRAZY?!

"Oh no..." Ray murmured seeing the dark phoenix and dreading the consequences.

Kai rushed over to Hilary and skidded to a halt in front of her. "Hilary, what are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing her shoulders. "Why have you joined with Black Dranzer? He's too dangerous!"

Hilary frowned and knocked his hands off of her. "Because I'm sick of being left on the side-lines and worrying myself to death about you guys," she replied firmly. "So I'm joining the fight." Above them, Dranzer and Black Dranzer stared at each other, hissing lightly. "Now, are you going to team up with us or not?" Hilary asked Kai.

In that moment Kai realised he had no choice. He couldn't change what Hilary had just done, but if he stayed close then he could ensure that she didn't come to any harm through Black Dranzer. He frowned and nodded. "Alright," he agreed. "Follow my lead. Dranzer!"

"Black Dranzer!" Hilary called.

With new purpose, and the combined power of both light and dark Phoenix, the battle for the village finally started to turn in its favour. Kai and Hilary stood back to back, moving in unison with the bit beasts as if they all shared one thought. Their opponents slowly started to fall back out of the village, realising that they couldn't win despite their numbers.

However, one brave demon stepped up to the challenge, making their move with a long range attack. Kai gasped as he sensed it coming and looked round just in time to see it. He moved without thinking and pushed Hilary to the ground, being hit by the blast himself and sent flying back into one of the buildings. Dazed and winded, he coughed and tried to figure out what had just happened, while Dranzer crashed down to earth with a pained cry.

"Kai, no!" Hilary shouted as Black Dranzer bellowed. The demon responsible for the attack rushed forward, preparing another attack in one of their hands as they charged at Kai. "Kai, look out!" Hilary screamed. Stealing back energy from Black Dranzer she surged forward with all the speed she could muster, feeling tears burning in her eyes when she saw what appeared to be some kind of energy sword forming in the attacking demon's hand. "NO!"

Kai blinked hard as his senses slowly started to return to him and he felt something splash on his face. Lifting his head and turning slightly to the left, he saw some kind of strange light embedded in the wall just above his shoulder. Energy? Following it back in hopes of tracing its source his eyes met red. Lots of red. Dark. Seeping. Staining cloth and dripping to the ground. Raising his slightly concussed gaze, the cruel reality of what had just happened hit him like a tidal wave.

Hilary stood before him with her head hung low, blood dribbling down her chin and a gaping hole in her stomach from where she'd been run through as the energy sword had exploded out of her body to connect with the wall.

The demon responsible, standing behind her after being blocked, snarled angrily and ripped the blade back out of her. Kai's eyes widened in horror as his girlfriend slumped forward and collapsed on the ground in front of him, blood steadily pooling around her.

Sanity left Kai. His power rushed through his veins once again. His eyes turned red, then sharpened and changed to a violent yellow. The earth shook as fire surrounded the entire village and Kai screamed.

"Hilary!" Ray called, running over, crouching next to the girl and doing what he could to put pressure on the wound. He was worried that he'd cause more problems and hurt her further. There was also the concern that they were in a rural, mountain, village in a jungle. Hilary needed immediate medical attention and they weren't equipped to help her there. "Hilary, are you awake?" Ray asked her, hoping to have something. If she was awake he'd need to try to keep her conscious.

The weakest of whimpers escaped Hilary's lips as she choked lightly on her own blood. "R...Ray..." she wheezed.

The air buzzed with power as Kai took off at lightning speed, going into a mad frenzy as he caught the demon responsible for harming Hilary. But Kai didn't just kill the demon. He slaughtered it, ripped off its head and threw it high into the air, incinerating it before it could start to fall back down. Burning the rest of the corpse, Kai turned his mad, bloodlust attention towards the other remaining enemy.

"Okay, Hilary, just stay with me, okay. We're gonna get you help, just stay awake," Ray told the girl, glancing around briefly for some help. For Hilary's sake he did his best not to show how concerned he was. "Kai, they're leaving, come give me a hand," Ray called to the Russian before turning to Hilary again. "Obviously he's mad at them," Ray told her in an almost light-hearted manner, as though it was something to roll their eyes at. He wanted to keep Hilary calm and not upset her.

Ray's attempts at getting Kai's attention proved to be futile. The Russian was completely lost to the world around him. Fury didn't even come into it. He was incandescent with rage. Growling continuously like a crazed animal that had been locked up in a cage far too long, all rational thought had left his mind. All he knew was that he wanted to cause pain. Pain and death to any who stood up to him. Roaring flames engulfed his body as they grew white hot, shining like a beacon which could no doubt be seen for miles around. Crazed yellow eyes scanned the surrounding area for their next target and Kai moved with inhumane speed to cut off the retreating demons. They were vaporised by his flames within seconds, leaving Kai hungry for more. The flames around him surged upwards to form the shape of a huge Phoenix that dwarfed Dranzer and Black Dranzer, who disappeared because they simply couldn't stand that level of power. Even Wolborg groaned and vanished.

Tala stumbled over to Ray and Hilary and knelt down. "He's lost it," he told Ray, before turning his attention to Hilary. "What's happened to her has caused him to snap."

"Look after her," Ray replied to Tala, "I'll do something about Kai. Before he does something he later regrets."

"Alright, but be VERY careful," Tala told him, as Hilary whimpered.

"Don't worry about me," Ray responded before going after Kai. Despite his exhaustion Ray relied heavily on his own speed to avoid getting hurt. Much to his alarm there was a mark on the back of Kai's neck and when he saw it more clearly he realised that it was the scar that T'rok was supposed to have healed. It had been fine, so why was it back? Not knowing what else he could possibly do, Ray got close enough for contact and sent some of his own energy through Kai when he touched the mark. It was the last of his energy and Ray blacked out.

The shot of foreign energy woke Kai from his crazed stupor and his power dissipated. Dropping to his knees as the fire faded, his head dropped forward for a few seconds before he regained consciousness again. Suddenly, everything felt heavy and tired.

Heaving himself back up to his feet, Kai staggered away, not even noticing Ray, and approached Hilary who had by this point passed out. Tala watched anxiously as Kai knelt down and lifted the girl up with a level of gentleness that Tala knew Kai hadn't been capable of just seconds before. "T'rok will help..." Kai murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

Using what little strength he had left, Kai opened the portal to the demon world and, before Tala could even think to ask him what he was intending to do, stepped through it with Hilary in his arms and vanished. The village lapsed into silence.

It was a victory, but at what cost?

000

"Hey, it's all quiet now," Kevin observed as he helped up a child who had tripped over.

"Yeah," Gary mused thoughtfully, "But quiet good or quiet bad?"

"We'll just need to go look I guess," Kevin replied. Gary nodded in agreement. Making sure the villagers would be alright, Kevin led the way in scouting out the village.

The damage done during the battle was pretty extensive and would probably takes weeks of constant work to repair. "This is awful," Gary commented.

"Yeah," Kevin agreed as he looked around. "Hey! Lee! Lee!" he called, "How are things looking over there?"

Lee breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Kevin's voice and moved over to the pair. "I've only checked half the village, so I'm still not sure," he replied. "What about you guys? Did everyone get out okay?"

"Yeah, a few scrapes and bruises," Kevin confirmed, "But nothing serious."

Lee nodded. "That's good news." He started heading further through the village. "We should find Ray and Mariah. And the others too."

Kevin nodded again, "Everything went quiet again rather suddenly, don't you think?" he commented as he followed Lee through the village. Gary wasn't far behind them.

Lee glanced around with a sense of unease as he moved. "Yeah... Too quiet." Breaking away from the buildings Lee looked up ahead. They'd arrived at the scene of the worst of the fighting, and it was a mess. "Oh no," Lee murmured, spotting a familiar, white clad figure lying on the ground up ahead. "Ray!" He rushed straight to his friend and lifted him from the ground. "Ray, wake up!"

Ray groaned and mumbled incoherently about being tired before forcing his eyes open tiredly. Ray almost went straight back to sleep but then remembered what had happened and looked about. "Kai and Hilary?" he asked. "What happened? Where are they?"

"Take it easy, pal," Lee told him. "I just got here. Where did you last see them?"

"Um," Ray looked around again. "Hilary was over there. She was hurt bad," Ray answered, pointing over to where Hilary had been. "Kai was... Kai... around here I think..."

"Check the place out," Lee told Gary and Kevin as they arrived, "Find Kai and Hilary." He turned back to Ray and lifted him up. "I'm taking you home."

"Right," Kevin responded with a nod before he and Gary began searching around.

"The others?" Ray asked barely awake.

"They're fine," Lee told him, turning towards Ray's place. "Just relax. We can talk later."

Ray's response was incoherent as he passed out again.

000

The next morning the weather seemed to reflect the feeling in the village. Heavy, dull clouds obscured the sun and a light mist clung to the ground. Repairs had begun at the crack of dawn, but everyone was on edge in case there was another attack. Very few people had actually managed to sleep.

In his home; Ray woke up again, this time in his bed, and found that Lee was still with him. Ray shifted to sit up and looked over at the window, wondering how late it was in the day. "Sorry about that, Lee," he commented.

"It's fine," Lee told him. "I'm just glad you're alright."

"What about everyone else? Hilary was hurt. She needed help," Ray told Lee. "She was bleeding really badly."

Lee sighed quietly. "We haven't heard anything," he admitted. "Tala told us that Kai opened the portal to the demon realm and took Hilary through it. That's the last we saw of them."

"T'rok..." Ray realised, "Of course. If anyone can help her, it'll be him. Not sure what they'll think about a human being there though. Tala was taken there to inform the council about the Tytos attacking, but that was different."

"Well there's no way of finding out how things are going," Lee commented. "Nobody here can open the portal. So we'll just have to wait. Tala's not taking that too well, to put it mildly."

Ray nodded. "That doesn't surprise me," he commented.

"...You know, some of the elders are talking," Lee began uncertainly. "Mariah and I heard Tao having an argument with a few of them."

"About what?" Ray asked.

Lee looked away. "About the attack," he answered hesitantly. "About Kai being the reason behind it, because of what he is." Lee frowned. "I don't know how or why they came to that conclusion, but that's what they're saying."

Ray shook his head a little, "That's...not right... That can't be it..." Ray got up, "How long ago was this?"

"Earlier this morning," Lee answered, frowning. "What are you doing, Ray?"

"Gonna have to talk to them," Ray replied. "They can't blame Kai for it. Kai's the one who made them go away."

"That's what Tao said," Lee explained then shrugged, "In his own sorta way at least. But they're bringing up how he lost control when Hilary got hurt. I heard it was you who stopped him. I don't know how you did it, but you're the hero, Ray. And some people are saying that we're better off without Kai around. That you saved us from him."

"What?!" Ray exclaimed, horrified at the news. "That's not how it was! They don't understand! Kai was upset! He had every right to be! What about me?! I'VE lost control of my power before! If they have a problem with Kai then they can have one with me too!" Ray left the house, intending to go and tell the elders just that.

"Ray, stop!" Lee tried, following after him. "They're all in a meeting right now in the main hall. You can't go in there!"

"I don't care! I'm not a hero and Kai's not a villain! But thanks for telling me exactly where they are," Ray added, heading for the main hall.

Lee stopped for a moment then slapped his forehead. "Shit!" he cursed and chased after Ray.

Reaching the building, Ray took no notice of any rules and regulations and stormed into the hall, interrupting the meeting. "Get off me," he told one of the men who tried to stop him.

The council of elders looked up in shock and disapproval. Tyro stood, "Let him in."

The man looked at Tyoro, nodded and stepped away to let Ray pass. Ray entered the room. "I want to talk about Kai," Ray told them bluntly.

"We are in the middle of a meeting, Ray," Tyoro told him sternly. "You should know better than to barge in like that. Even in circumstances like these."

"Apparently it's going around that I saved the village from Kai and that's not how it was at all," Ray responded stubbornly.

"That lad was out of control," one of the elders spoke gruffly. "He could have destroyed the entire village if you hadn't stopped him."

"Bullshit! Kai would never do that! His control slipped because he was upset! He was upset because Hilary was injured. She needed medical attention, she was bleeding badly, of course he was going to be upset! You wanna talk about out of control? You think he's a threat to us because of that?! I'VE lost control before! Aren't I a threat then? Are you just going to ignore the fact that he's done everything in his power to protect us?!"

"He's not one of us!" another man snarled. "You are."

"And just what exactly do you mean by that?" Ray demanded.

"Enough!" Tao said loudly, standing up. "I believe we are about to have a visitor." Within seconds of his words being spoken a light breeze filled the hall as the very air itself seemed to part. A portal appeared just behind Ray and Fabian stepped through it.

Ray turned and looked up at the hooded demon, "Fabian! I heard Kai took Hilary through. Are they okay?"

"I am here to find out exactly what happened last night," Fabian informed the elders, before looking at Ray. "Kai refuses to speak and I am unaware of the human girl's condition. She is with T'rok."

"The only answers you'll get out of those guys about what happened last night are unfounded lies," Ray commented to Fabian.

"Do not add fuel to the fire, Ray," Tao advised. "It is most unwise."

"Well that's exactly what it is to pin the blame on Kai like that!" Ray responded; angered at the way Kai had been spoken about and somewhat hurt on his friend's behalf.

"I have information regarding Kai's apparent loss of control," Fabian offered. "It's in regards to his recent difficulties with his energy and power."

"The boy is dangerous," the first elder replied, only to be silenced by a calm hand from Tyoro.

"Please continue," Tyoro asked Fabian. "I think young Ray would like to hear this as much as we would."

Fabian nodded. "Because Kai has become such a powerful demon, he is still at risk of being affected by the transition. While the information we have on the Phoenix demon is limited, we have been able to learn that it can cause damage to its host in the first few years after the change. As a result of this, the Phoenix has developed a form of protection and self-preservation technique by cutting off its power completely for a certain amount of time. This gives the host body time to fully recuperate, by reverting back to human." Fabian looked at Ray again. "That's what Kai is going through. He's just beginning the transition back into a human."

"But that would make him vulnerable to anyone who knows what he is and holds a grudge," Ray replied worriedly.

The hooded demon nodded, "Which is why it's best that he remains where he is for the moment."

Ray looked down briefly before facing Fabian again. "Would it be possible for me to see them?"

Fabian glanced back at the portal, which was still open. "I'm not stopping you," he said, as many of the elders objected. Ray looked at the elders, shook his head and passed Fabian with a quick word of thanks as he headed through the portal.

"This is an outrage!" one of the elders snarled furiously.

"Gets it from his father," another one muttered.

"Enough," Tyoro snapped. "He's not a child anymore. He's free to make his own decisions." He looked back at Fabian as the demon closed the portal, "Now, to the matter at hand."

000

Ray wandered through the corridors quietly, looking for any sign of Kai. Ray guessed there must have been another area where T'rok worked because no one was in the room that Ray had first met the healer in. It would make sense for there to be another area with the size of the place. Ray also found that no one seemed to have time for him as they walked past without a word or even a second glance when he tried asking if they could tell him where Kai was.

After about ten minutes, Quinn appeared round a corner up ahead. Spotting Ray, he sat down and waited for the teen to approach him, curling his tail around his side and staring with his intense blue eyes.

Spotting Quinn, Ray heaved a sigh and approached him. "Makes a welcome change to see a friendly face," he commented, crouching down to pet the cat. "They all seem annoyed. I dunno what I've done wrong but I get the distinct impression that they're ignoring me, blatantly." Quinn sat for a few seconds to enjoy the attention, then turned and trotted away down the hall.

Stopping just before the corner he looked back at Ray and meowed. Ray straightened up and walked after the cat. Quinn took Ray along another corridor and then down a flight of stairs, stopping at the bottom by a single, heavy door. It was shut. Sitting down in front of it Quinn meowed again and scratched the door once.

Ray headed over the door and stood in front of it uncertainly for a moment before knocking on it lightly. He'd calmed down by now and didn't want to walk in on anything important like he had with the elders' meeting. After a moment of no response the handle turned and the door cracked open slightly. Ray found himself face to face with Kai's empty, worn out gaze. "Kai," Ray gasped, relieved to see his friend, but concerned at the same time. "How are you guys doing?"

Kai stared at him blankly, almost as if he hadn't heard. Stepping back from the door, he turned away and returned to where he'd been sitting against the wall on a bench, watching. In the middle of the room, T'rok was standing with his back to the door, over what appeared to be an examination table covered with blankets. Blood was splashed all across the floor around the table and a very still figure lay upon it.

Ray entered the room quietly and closed the door behind himself. He walked over to Kai, watching T'rok out the corner of his eye. Even without seeing her there was no doubt that the figure on the table was Hilary. She was in a bad way, he'd known that before. There was every chance that Hilary might die and it was upsetting enough to Ray, but he knew Kai's feelings for the girl. He remembered trying to convince Kai to take the chance with a relationship. Kai had been afraid that Hilary would get hurt if she got involved with him. Ray sat down next to Kai and after a brief moment of thought he rested a hand on Kai's shoulder in a show of support. Other than that, he gave no indication of his own concerns, hoping that it would help Kai, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

T'rok stood back with a grave look on his wrinkled face. On the table before him, Hilary lay motionless. Blood soaked cloths were scattered around her slight frame; the only other colour besides the dull brown of her hair. Her skin was so pale that it looked almost grey and the dark bags under her eyes only made her look worse.

T'rok closed his eyes, sensing the anxious gaze of the young Phoenix on his back. How could he break this news? Despite all his medical knowledge and experience, there was nothing he could do to repair the damage. Hilary's stomach was just too badly torn up. It was a miracle she was still breathing at all. But every sharp, ragged wheeze that came from her lips seemed weaker than the last.

Slowly he turned away, wishing the girl an easy passage into the next life.

With his movements, Kai's eyes widened. "No..." he whispered, distraught. "T'rok, don't give up."

The elder demon shook his head sadly. "I am sorry. But there is nothing more I can do for her. She is as comfortable as she can be."

"Nothing?" Ray asked quietly, feeling ill. All her friends, her family, none of them knew. Hilary was dying and none of them had any idea. Hilary was a fighter, there was no doubt about that. She didn't just roll over and give up. Hilary was the sort to pick herself up and try harder when things got tough. It had earned her so much respect within the team. But Ray had seen how badly she'd bled. Maybe they hadn't acted quick enough, maybe he simply hadn't done enough in the first place, but the harsh reality of the matter was that Hilary WAS dying.

Crossing the floor, T'rok paused at Kai's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "What's meant to happen, will, my boy. There's nothing we can do to change that."

Kai frowned and shrugged T'rok's hand from his shoulder, standing up. "Says you maybe. But I'm not giving up on her."

T'rok sighed. He could only imagine how hard this must be for the boy, who had tried so hard to save the girl. "She barely holds on. Let her go peacefully."

Kai refused to respond, walking stiffly across the floor to drop to his knees at Hilary's bedside. His stomach churned as he looked over her injuries. How could he have let this happen? Hadn't he promised himself that he'd protect her? Keep her safe from any harm. This couldn't be happening! It just couldn't!

"H-Hilary?" he stuttered, reaching forward to delicately brush her bangs from her eyes. "Hilary, can you hear me?"

After a long moment, the girl's eyelids dragged open. Her normally bright orbs were dull and clouded with pain. Kai wasn't even sure if she could see him and no sound came from her mouth when she tried to speak.

Kai felt hot trails of tears run down his face and leaned closer to kiss her forehead. "You have to hold on," he begged, his voice cracking. "Please, don't do this." Her eyes were closed when he looked back at her and he choked down a sob. "I love you..."

Ray looked at the floor, feeling like he was intruding by watching. He didn't plan to leave though, in case Kai needed him. "Hilary's not a quitter," he commented, mostly to T'rok. "I've never seen her give up. I've seen her back off just to rethink how she's going to handle a challenge. But never give up. That's not who she is."

T'rok's eyes were sad. "I'm afraid that's not going to be enough this time," he replied quietly.

Kai let his head drop to the mattress. He gripped the sheets tightly in his trembling hands, barely managing to contain his grief. Within seconds the sheets were wet with his tears, so he lifted his head and wiped at them in a futile attempt to stop them. His hands were shaking so badly now and he watched the salty drops of water run down his fingers.

_Wait a minute... Water..._ "That's it," he murmured, stumbling to his feet. It was a long shot, but he had to try.

Across the room T'rok frowned in wonder, watching as Kai slid his arms under Hilary's body. "Kai, what are you doing?" he asked.

The Russian didn't reply; his whole attention on Hilary. At being moved she had winced and let out a tiny sound of distress, clearly still in terrible pain. "Shh," Kai soothed her, carefully lifting her from the bed and into his arms, making sure her head was resting on his shoulder. "Hold on for me, okay? Just a little longer."

Hilary's eyes remained closed, but her lips twitched as she tried to speak. "K... K..."

Kai gently rested his cheek against the top of her head. "I'm here," he assured her, turning slowly to face the door.

T'rok's eyes widened, "Kai, stop. You can't move her. Her wounds are too delicate."

For the first time since he and Ray had arrived in the demon world and met the supreme healer, Kai shot T'rok a vicious glare. "What d'you care? You already gave up on her."

T'rok was frozen in shock, at a complete loss for what to do. He watched silently as Kai walked right past him, Hilary securely in his arms. Kicking the door open, he stepped out into the main hallway and started up the stairs.

Ray stood up and followed after Kai curiously but a little unsure. When he'd arrived, he'd been facing a shell, not that he expected any more than that given the circumstances, but now he could see the Kai he knew again. The fire was back, but why? What had ignited it?

When Kai reached the top of the stairs, everything came to a sudden stop. The usual bustling activity ground to a halt as demons of all shapes and sizes froze, sensing the threatening presence in the air. They turned slowly to stare as Kai passed by down the centre of the hallway, some smaller demon's scuttling quickly out of his way and clearing a path.

The line of candles on either wall crackled into life as the Russian moved, his eyes fixed straight ahead at his destination. The huge archway entrance to the sacred waters loomed over him, guarded by two large Lizard-like demons. Their silver reptilian eyes watched Kai warily and they both crossed their spears, blocking the entrance.

"No humans are permitted to enter the sacred baths," one said, while the other bared his teeth in an authoritative snarl.

Eyes turning blood red, Kai responded to the snarl with a deep, threatening growl of his own. "Humans have never been here before, so there is no such rule." The tips of the two spears began to glow red hot, startling the guards. "Stand aside," Kai ordered them.

Regardless of the threat, the guards hissed, spines on their necks standing on end while their tails twitched angrily.

"Let him pass," T'rok spoke up suddenly, having followed Kai and Ray at a distance. "It's a matter of life and death."

"Of a human!" the second guard growled. "Why should we care?"

T'rok stepped closer to Kai, but refrained from touching him. The boy was clearly in a state of serious agitation and any sudden movements could be catastrophic if he was startled. "Because the Phoenix is not one to be challenged," the healer replied certainly, "Especially when concerning someone precious."

The two lizards glanced at each other, then to their spear heads which had been reduced to a melted glob on the end of their stakes.

"Very well," the first agreed reluctantly and the spears were raised. "But we will be speaking to Fabian about this."

"Like I care," Kai spat, stepping through before there could be any further delays. Hilary's breathing was now alarmingly slow. There wasn't much time left. Ray slipped past them, cottoning on to Kai's last ditch plan, and jogged ahead to open doors for Kai.

Reaching the water's edge, Kai kicked off his shoes and looked at Ray. "If this doesn't work," he began quietly, suddenly sounding scared again. "You'll have to stop me before I risk hurting anyone else."

"It will work," Ray replied, not liking the drop in confidence. _It has to,_ he added privately.

Kai swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and took a calming breath. Watching carefully for any signs of distress from Hilary, he slowly descended the steps and waded out into the water.

Behind Ray, T'rok and various other demons gathered quietly to watch. Even Quinn appeared, choosing to stand between Ray's feet. T'rok stepped forward to stand by Ray's side. "He intends to combine his power with the healing qualities of the water," he spoke quietly. "This will attract a lot of attention, so keep your guard up." Ray glanced at T'rok and nodded.

Murmurs and various other sounds floated into the air from the demons watching as Kai stepped into the water, up to his chest with Hilary's head just above the surface. Holding her lightly, he let the water take most of her weight and closed his eyes. Gentle waves of energy began to spread out through the water, creating tiny ripples which lapped against the stone steps.

"Please let this work," Kai prayed in a whisper. "Don't take her away too..."

A single tear slipped down his cheek and dripped into the water, softly disturbing the blood that was swirling lazily from Hilary's wound. The swirl then began to change, fading away as the whole cavern was slowly painted by the soft purple glow of the water, as it responded to Kai's energy.

Scared, but strangely drawn to it, some of the other demons began to make a hesitant approach to the water, moving down the steps and stopping at the edge. Everything suddenly seemed so warm and peaceful, even as the centre of the light grew brighter, until Kai and Hilary were silhouetted by it.

"Amazing..." T'rok whispered, fascinated. He moved slowly down to the water's edge and after a moment of consideration, bent down and dipped his fingers in. The warmth soaked into his skin almost immediately, leaving T'rok amazed when he realised that his hand didn't feel so stiff anymore. In fact, it felt stronger than it had in a long time. The light shakiness caused by his age that he'd become used to was gone as well.

More demons moved down to the water and some eventually started to venture into it. Ray moved closer as well, squeezing his way past several demons to make sure he could see Kai, so that he'd be at hand if Kai needed him.

For a long time, nothing seemed to happen. Many of the demons had started to either hum or grumble gently as they soaked in the soothing shallow water, absorbing as much of the healing properties within it as possible. Despite it being so crowded, every single creature was in complete harmony with others around them.

Kai took no notice of this. His whole attention was focussed on Hilary. He could feel his own energy spreading through her body and sensed her starting to fight back against the pull of death she'd been so close to succumbing to earlier. The bags under her eyes were fading and her breathing was steady and deep. A weary relief washed over Kai, accompanied by a heaviness he'd never experienced. With one last wave of energy, the light faded from the water and the demons stopped humming. An exhausted sigh escaped Kai's lips. He'd done it. Hilary was safe now. She was going to live.

Feeling the fatigue starting to set in, Kai turned in the water and started making his way back slowly towards Ray and T'rok. As he drew close the demons in the water quickly moved out of his way. Kai climbed the steps, leaving a trail of water behind him and stopped once he got to the top.

"She's going to be okay?" Ray asked Kai.

She's fighting..." Kai murmured, hesitantly allowing T'rok to take Hilary from him when the healer moved closer. Kai's now empty arms dropped slowly to hang by his sides and he raised his head just enough to lock gazes with Ray. Normally sharp eyes were clouded with exhaustion and bloodshot, while his whole body seemed to slump heavily.

"How about you," Ray asked, "Are you okay?"

"Mm," Kai replied quietly, not even attempting to nod.

"We need to get you somewhere where you can rest," Ray commented. "You're exhausted."

"Come with me," T'rok told them. "I have a small bed chamber he can have. I'll be tending to Hilary in the room next door to it." Ray nodded and looked at Kai again, silently offering to help Kai if he needed it.

Once they were back in T'rok's chambers safely, a couple of assistants fetched some clothes for Kai to wear, taking away his wet ones to dry once he'd changed. Kai sat down heavily on the edge of the bed T'rok had said he could use, staring blankly through the open door to the next room. He could hear T'rok bustling about, no doubt tending to Hilary. Kai's gaze fell down to his open hands.

"D'you want to talk?" Ray asked him quietly.

Kai's attention flickered to Ray for a couple of seconds, before returning to his hands. He looked pale and beyond tired. He didn't even have the energy to speak. He felt numb. Ray watched him quietly, feeling a little lost and wondering what he could do to help. Kai flexed his fingers experimentally, blinking when they seemed stiff and slow. Everything felt like that actually. But he couldn't understand why. Surely it wasn't just the fatigue. "...Did I...Did I do enough?" he mumbled quietly, forcing the words out.

"I'm sure you did," Ray answered.

After a moment Kai shook his head. "No..." he mused quietly. "I didn't... And I'll never be able to, so long as she..." He trailed off and closed his eyes, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over him.

"You should get some rest," Ray told Kai, unsure what Kai was on about but hoping he'd recover after some sleep.

Kai forced his eyes open, "But, what about Hilary?"

"T'rok will take care of her. You just worry about yourself for now," Ray answered.

The Russian sighed and slid under the blankets of the bed, lying down and trying to get comfortable. He frowned when he realised he couldn't really sense Ray anymore, despite him being right there in the same room. Why was that? "Something else is wrong..." he mumbled, eyes getting heavy. "Can't work it out..."

"We can talk about it later," Ray assured him. Kai mumbled something unintelligible as his eyes slid shut, before he finally passed out. Ray watched him quietly and sat down nearby, thinking about what the elders had said about Kai.

000

"Hey, Lee," Mariah greeted her brother. "Where's Ray? Is he feeling better now?"

Lee almost flinched at the question, and gave his sister a nervous smile. "Oh yeah, he's a lot better now, Mariah, up and about already."

Mariah frowned. "So where is he?" she asked, giving Lee a bit of a suspicious look.

"...Away," Lee tried, hoping she would give up, but really knowing she wouldn't.

"WHAT?! Where?! Why?!" Mariah demanded.

Lee was suddenly terrified of his little sister. "Well, I might have sorta let it slip that the elders were in a meeting and mentioned Kai," he said with a sweat-drop. "And then Ray might have stormed off and barged in on it."

Mariah's jaw dropped and she stared at Lee for a moment before speaking again. "Are you serious?"

Lee nodded. "I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't hear it. I stood outside and listened to what they were saying. Ray was really pissed off."

"What was said about Kai annoyed me too, so I can understand that, but interrupting a meeting? Is he in trouble for it? The elders must have been furious."

"They didn't get much chance to tell him off. Fabian turned up and Ray disappeared through the portal. He's in the demon realm now, along with Kai and Hilary."

Mariah bit her lip and looked down. "What on earth happened, Lee? What did they want?"

"I wish I knew," Lee replied quietly.

"What if they come back?" Mariah asked in a near-whisper.

Lee moved closer and hugged her. "Try not to think about it. Fabian is still here. I'm sure he'll keep us safe."

Mariah nodded a little. "Any word on how Hilary is? I heard she was hurt, but I have no idea how bad."

Lee tightened his hold slightly on his sister. "I don't know all the details," he told her. "But I saw the blood on the ground...Pools of it."

"Oh no," Mariah whispered worriedly.

000

Kai didn't know what it was that woke him, if anything at all. His eyes just dragged themselves open of their own accord. He certainly didn't feel like he'd slept. Why had he been sleeping? The thick brown blankets he was under weren't his own and last he remembered Tyson's futons were a light turquoise colour. Part of him wanted to just forget about all of this and go back to sleep, but Kai's suspicious nature took hold of him, making him study his surroundings and attempt to identify them.

The rocky walls and ancient-looking, wooden furniture meant nothing to him. With difficulty he sat up, feeling his head start to hurt as he wracked his brain for all the answers he couldn't grasp. Then he spotted white and his eyes darted to it. Ray. Familiar. Safe. Kai began to relax. At least he wasn't alone. But where were they?

Ray had been lost in thought for some hours, thinking about the elders and their attitude towards Kai. It still made him angry and as a result he'd been glaring at the wall. He knew Kai. Sure the Russian had his moments, but then so did everyone else and it was no reason to discriminate him. And the whole Kai not being one of them? Why? Because he was Russian? Because he hadn't been born there? Kai had been Tao's student too. 'When a man has been your teacher for a day you should treat him as your father for the rest of his life'; a teaching in China which the elders themselves knew and had drummed into the youngsters at an early age. And to then turn around and say that about Kai? Kai had fought for them, more than once. And he didn't have to. It was wrong. The elders were wrong.

"Wh...Where are we?" Kai's voice asked weakly.

Ray started and blinked before turning to face Kai, "You're awake," he realised, "How d'you feel?"

Kai glanced around again as he considered the question. "Not right..." he mumbled. "I'm confused."

Ray frowned and shifted closer. "Okay, what do you remember? I'll see if I can fill in the gaps and maybe clear things up for you."

Kai's head was killing him by this point, so he shook his head with a weak sigh. Then his eyes widened, as everything came rushing back. "Hilary!"

"You helped her and T'rok's looking after her now," Ray told Kai.

Kai had suddenly gone pale. "So, she's still... She didn't..."

"Do you want me to go find out how she's doing now for you?" Ray asked.

Kai looked over towards the door. "She's nearby?" he asked hopefully.

Ray nodded, "Yeah, but you should probably still be resting. You were out for hours but you don't look like you've slept at all. Don't get me wrong, I can totally understand why it's hard for you. It's just that, well, something's happened to you, Kai. Fabian came to the village, he wanted to know what happened, he said you weren't talking, but he also gave us some information, about why your power was playing up."

Kai blinked. "He did?" he asked, then glanced at his hands. "What did he say? He knows what's going on then? Is something wrong with me?"

"Um, basically your power can actually harm you, so it's caused you to become human again so that you can recover," Ray answered.

The Russian's eyes widened. "Human?" He gritted his teeth and cursed in his native tongue, before holding his head in his hands. "No. This can't be happening! I'm too weak as a human."

"It's not permanent," Ray pointed out, "And I'm gonna stay nearby until you have your power back."

Hands dropping away from his head, Kai sighed and nodded. "Okay... Can you ask T'rok about Hilary, please?"

Ray nodded, "I'll be right back," he assured Kai before leaving the room to ask after Hilary.

Once Ray was gone, Kai lay back down on the bed. Turning to face the wall he stared blankly at it. "This has got to stop," he mumbled, closing his eyes. "I can't take it anymore."

000

"Excuse me," Ray addressed T'rok when he found the elderly demon, "How's Hilary doing?"

T'rok looked round and smiled gently. "She's going to need time, but she is responding to treatment now," he informed Ray. "There's no reason she shouldn't make a full recovery."

"That's great news," Ray replied brightly. "Kai will be happy to hear it."

"I'm sure he will," T'rok agreed. "How is he? You've been in there with him for several hours now."

"He was asleep for most of that time, but he woke up a bit confused and he doesn't look like he's slept much. I think it's probably the stress. I passed on what Fabian told me because Kai has a right to know."

T'rok nodded. "I was going to speak to him about it, but thank you for doing it yourself. Once he's rested I'll need to give him a check over."

Ray nodded. "I'll go let him know how Hilary's doing now and try convince him to rest some more." T'rok thanked him again and returned to what he'd been doing. Ray thanked T'rok for his time and headed back to join Kai and give him the news.

000

When Ray returned, Kai was still lying with his back to the door, muttering something quietly in Russian. "Kai?" Ray asked.

The muttering stopped and Kai glanced back over his shoulder. "What?"

Ray smiled, "T'rok says that Hilary's responding to the treatment and so there's no reason for her not to recover. It's gonna take some time, but she's gonna be just fine."

Kai turned away again and closed his eyes, gripping the blanket tightly. "Spasééba..." he whispered. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "When can I see her?"

"I think it would be best if you tried to rest more first," Ray commented, "You still look exhausted. T'rok wants to check you over after you do."

"Mm," Kai replied quietly. "What about you?"

"Me?" Ray asked surprised, before smiling again. "What about me? I'm fine. Worry about yourself for the moment. You'll sleep better."

Kai cracked a half smirk, "If you say so. Wake me if there's any news on Hilary."

"Will do," Ray responded with a mock-salute. Kai smiled and relaxed back into the bed, falling asleep again quickly.

Satisfied that Kai was asleep and knowing Hilary was on the mend, Ray turned his thoughts to the village again. What would happen now? The elders had displayed distaste now for Kai, so where did that leave them? What happened when Kai recovered? Could they go back? Would they or Kai more specifically, be accepted? He already had enough issues over that sort of thing as it was. Kai hadn't done anything to deserve that sort of thing from them, and what about the others? Ray had left so quickly that he hadn't had time to check on them. Tala was probably going spare right about now worrying about Kai. As for the villagers, Ray hoped they were okay and wondered how repairs were going.

Who were the demons who'd attacked this time and what did they want? Would they come back? What was to be done if they did? They'd barely held them off the last time. Ray sat down and buried his face in hands for several moments before raking them through his bangs. He felt completely lost but he couldn't speak of it. Glancing at Kai he wondered if there was some way that he could clear things up with the elders, so that Kai would never need to know about what was said. Ray shifted to bring his foot up on the chair in order to rest his arm and head on his knee. Wracking his brains, he could come up with no solution and eventually fell asleep himself.

* * *

Spasééba = Thank you


	13. Chapter 12

Author Note: Thank you to our wonderful reviewers Rangerapprentice, DragonAce1999 and Corynofhoole. Going back and reviewing earlier chapters are what saved this fic. Reviews are the reason we post it up here so thank you so much. You guys are great. When I logged into the email inbox and saw all those reviews it really put a smile on my face.

* * *

Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Twelve

The next morning; a cold shiver running down his spine woke Kai from his relatively peaceful sleep. Groggily he attempted to pull the blankets tighter around himself, but after a minute he didn't feel any warmer and so gave up. Sitting up on the bed, he ran a hand through his hair and glanced around.

Across the room from him Ray was sleeping. He didn't appear to have moved much from the last time Kai had seen him and the Russian rolled his eyes. "I tried to warn you," he muttered. Slipping out of the bed and taking the blanket with him, Kai draped it carefully around Ray's shoulders. The room had been warm the previous night, but the fire had since died down and all the heat had faded away as just a few weak embers glowed in the hearth.

With Ray attended to, Kai decided to let him sleep and moved over to the fireplace. Crouching down in front of it he frowned and tried snapping his fingers. When not even a trace of heat came from them; Kai sighed and lowered his hand. "It really is gone..." he mused quietly.

There had to be some other way to light the fire surely. T'rok managed and he wasn't a fire-based demon. Then again Kai wasn't very familiar with the tools and technology used in the demon realm, if any, and so doubted he'd be able to find a convenient lighter or box of matches nearby. That's when two strange stones caught his attention; sitting on the edge of the hearth, one blue and one red. Curious, Kai picked them both up and examined them. They were mostly smooth but each had a small section that was scraped and chipped. It looked like someone had been knocking them together.

Having an idea Kai shrugged and held them over what was left of the fire. "Worth a shot I guess." The first couple of knocks did nothing but chip the stones a little more, leaving Kai growling and muttering quietly to himself. What was he doing? He could be at this all week and still not make a fire. Wouldn't it be far more logical to just go and ask T'rok to relight the fire himself? ...Then again, Kai didn't want to bother the old demon. He'd done enough already with caring for Hilary.

Growling again, Kai looked around for anything that might catch easily, which he could just put on the dead fire and then coax it back to life. A small pile of old parchments sat on the floor to his left. They were clearly left for such a purpose. Taking a couple of them Kai prepared to place them on the fire, when he found himself looking at the two strange stones again. After a moment he sighed. "What the hell..." Lifting both up, he positioned them, this time over the parchment, and knocked them together. After three attempts, tiny little red and blue sparks dropped down onto the parchment and danced across it, catching it at the edges and slowly starting to burn. Thrilled with his success, Kai carefully lifted the parchment into his hand and blew gently on the sparks, encouraging them to burn brighter. After just a few seconds a small flame burned brightly between his hands, making Kai smirk triumphantly as he placed it in the fire and then started building up some wood for it to burn.

The heat that slowly started to spread out was welcoming, but Kai didn't feel as relaxed as he normally would. Hesitantly, unsure of what he was doing, he reached out and waved his hand slowly through the flames, only to jump back a second later and curse quietly. Examining his hand, he sighed. It was burnt. "Well that was pretty stupid, Kai Hiwatari," he scolded himself quietly, although his little experiment, stupid as it was, had provided him with valuable information. He hadn't just lost his ability to conjure and manipulate flames, but his immunity to them as well. They could hurt him now. He would have to be careful.

Standing up now that the fire was built up and burning strong, Kai glanced once more at Ray before sneaking out through the heavy wooden door. Ray needed sleep too and Kai was pretty certain that if he didn't take this chance to get out now, Ray would stop him later. Ray was full demon while Kai was just a human. It would be understandable if Ray felt the need to protect Kai, but also frustrating. Kai didn't need to be protected. He could manage fine himself.

Stopping once he was out the door Kai looked around for any sign of T'rok. The demon didn't appear to be anywhere nearby, leaving Kai alone in the large chamber which spread out around him. It was large with a fairly high ceiling and round. Heavy curtains hung across what appeared to be maybe tunnels or exits, but it was hard to tell because they were all drawn shut. Deciding to investigate Kai moved to the first and looked inside carefully. An empty bed was behind the curtain, along with small wooden stools and a bench for working at. They were hospital cubicles by the look of things, or the demon realm's equivalent anyway. It made sense. T'rok was the supreme healer, so this must have been where his most critical patients stayed. "Hilary..." Kai remembered, having caught himself distracted again. He had to find her. Moving to the next curtain, he pulled it back. Empty. The next one was empty too. Kai felt a cold ball of dread start to form in his stomach. She was here, right? She had made it? Ray had said last night that she was going to be okay. Don't say something had gone wrong! Panic swept through Kai's senses as he rushed round the rest of the cubicles, throwing the curtains open one by one. Repeatedly finding empty beds, he grabbed desperately at the final curtain and almost ripped it off the railing.

His heart stopped when he found the final bed to be occupied and a choked gasp of relief escaped his mouth when he recognised the familiar face. "Hilary..." he whispered. Pulling the curtain back across, Kai stumbled closer to the bed and dropped to his knees. A hesitant hand reached over and touched Hilary's face. Warmth radiated off her skin. She was alive. Her breathing was soft and even, and all traces of blood had been cleaned from her skin. She looked peaceful as she slept in what appeared to be a lightweight, lilac coloured night gown. "Thank god..." Kai whispered, pulling his hand away from her face to gently clutch her own at her side. His head lowered to the mattress, bangs brushing against the girl's forearm. He'd done it. Despite everything that had happened, he'd still done it. He'd saved her. Kai closed his eyes and allowed a few tears to escape silently.

As she began to stir, Hilary became aware of a light pressure around her left hand. There was something tickling her forearm a little as well and she dragged her eyes open to try and see what it was. She felt lost, having no idea where she was or what had happened. "Kai..." she murmured, looking to her left and seeing the two-toned hair which could only belong to said Russian.

Lifting his head, Kai fixed his blurry gaze on her. He bit his lip and took a breath. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he whispered.

"What...happened?" Hilary asked quietly.

Kai lifted her hand gently and held it in both of his own, stroking it softly with one thumb, "The battle at White Tiger Hills. I got hit. You jumped in front of me to protect me." He shivered at the memory. "I thought I'd lost you. You were bleeding...everywhere..."

"What about the others?" Hilary asked worriedly as the battle came back. "Are they okay?"

Kai nodded, "Yeah. They're all fine."

"Where are we?" Hilary asked, looking around.

Kai closed his eyes. "I brought you to the demon realm. It was your only chance."

"The demon realm?" Hilary asked, surprised. "Should I even be here?"

"...No," Kai replied. "But don't worry. You're safe."

Hilary smiled a little and tightened her grip on Kai's hand. "I'm sorry I had you so worried."

Kai smiled weakly and kissed her hand. "Just, please never try to save me again. I can't take it."

"I couldn't stand to lose you either though," Hilary pointed out.

"You weren't going to," Kai told her. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the forehead. "I told you, Hilary. I love you. But I won't risk losing you again."

"What do you mean?" Hilary asked.

Kai brushed her bangs gently out of her eyes. "It doesn't matter right now," he told her. "Just get some rest. You need it." Hilary nodded sleepily and closed her eyes, drifting off fairly quickly. Once she was asleep, Kai let out a quiet sigh before leaving, deciding that he needed a walk.

000

The room was comfortably warm when Ray woke up, but he quickly noticed that Kai was gone and gasped. Ray stood up and noticed the blanket as it fell to the floor. Frowning as he picked it up and glanced to the bed, Ray realised immediately that Kai had put it around his shoulders, but that didn't answer the question of where Kai was. Dropping the blanket on the bed, Ray headed out to search for Kai, checking on Hilary first. He'd expected to find Kai there, but she was alone and sleeping soundly. Ray wandered out into the corridor to begin his search for Kai.

"Well hello there, Ray," T'rok greeted as he moved through the hall back towards the infirmary. "Is everything alright?"

"Uh, I fell asleep and Kai was gone when I woke up," Ray answered. "Have you seen him about?"

T'rok smiled, his many wrinkles stretching. "As a matter of fact I have. He told me he needed some air. Just follow this hallway all the way to the end and then take the steps on the left. They'll lead you out onto a large balcony. Kai is there."

Ray looked down the corridor briefly then faced T'rok again. "Thank you," he responded before following the old demon's directions.

000

Luckily for Ray, Kai hadn't moved from where T'rok had seen him. The balcony he was on was huge, cut into the side of a cliff. Kai was leaning on the stone railing at its edge, looking out over an incredible view of water and vegetation. Below was a large river which flowed directly into the ocean. The shore lines were covered with trees and further up river were wide open, grassy clearings. A warm breeze rushed up the cliff face, brushing the tails of Kai's scarf back. He glanced over without moving and spotted Ray. "So, you found me huh?"

"T'rok told me where to find you," Ray confessed.

Kai nodded slightly and looked back out across the water. "Ah."

Ray moved forward to look out at the view too. He turned his head and looked up at the cliff behind them, taking in the sheer size. "I can't get over how big this place is," he commented to Kai. "I wonder how long it took them to carve it into this cliff." Ray turned back again and leaned on the stone railing too.

"Not very long actually," Kai told him. "I asked T'rok about the history of this place. Apparently the original tunnels were dug by a demon that's similar to a mole, only a lot bigger. They're quite rare these days. T'rok said it only took a couple of years for the founders of this place to complete the tunnels to their liking, adding stairways and balconies like this one."

"Wow," Ray murmured, impressed. "They must be huge. So, how are you feeling now?"

Kai turned his head away. "Fine," he lied.

Ray glanced at Kai briefly before facing forward again. "Would you be offended if I said I don't believe you?"

"Not really."

Ray glanced at Kai again and frowned slightly as he started thinking. "D'you still feel you can talk to me?" he tried.

"Hn," Kai grunted. "Well you haven't given me a reason to feel like I can't. So I guess that means yes."

Ray smiled a little. "So what's wrong?" he asked.

Kai's gaze lowered to his hands as he started picking at a fleck of stone on the railing. "It's... It's complicated," he began uncertainly. "I don't know what to do... What's right...?"

"You don't know what to do about what?" Ray asked, giving Kai his full attention.

The Russian sighed heavily. "Hilary," he answered quietly.

"I saw her on my way out. I thought you'd be there. She seemed okay then," Ray commented, prompting Kai to go further.

"...She made it through this time," Kai said. "But who's to say she'll be so lucky if that kinda thing happens again? ...I already have enough blood on my hands, Ray. The last thing I want is more."

"You didn't cause that," Ray stated adamantly, his tone a little fiercer than he'd intended because he was reminded of the village elders, sounding much like he was in an argument. "It wasn't your fault."

Kai looked at him out the corner of his eye. "Do you honestly believe that?" he asked.

"Of course I do," Ray answered without any trace of doubt.

Kai snorted and looked away. "Wish I could say the same."

"You need to stop blaming yourself every time something goes wrong. You didn't cause the attack and you didn't cause Hilary to get injured. You can't control what others do or how they think. Those demons chose to attack for themselves. Hilary chose to protect you by herself. It wasn't your fault. It's nobody's fault but those who were behind the attack."

"Well, Hilary won't be risking her own life for my sake again," Kai retorted, "That I can control."

Ray frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Kai turned away from the view and walked past Ray, hands in his pockets. "It doesn't matter."

"Kai, you can't control other people," Ray responded, turning to watch the Russian and moving to follow. "I don't understand."

"No, but I can influence their decisions," Kai told him. "Now drop it." Ray frowned again but he did do as Kai told him and dropped the matter regardless of his curiosity.

Before reaching the steps, Kai paused. "Are you following me?" he asked.

"Uh," Ray glanced down briefly at the distance between them before looking at Kai again, "Yes."

"Well stop it," Kai told him with a sigh.

"But-" Ray began, stopping as two different arguments passed through his mind. Both of them would annoy Kai. Proving Kai couldn't control other people? That would be bringing up something Kai told him to drop. Telling Kai he was concerned for him and his safety? That he wanted to stay nearby while Kai was human just in case? That would only remind Kai of weakness and also irritate him. "I don't want to," Ray settled on.

Kai let out a barely audible growl. "Well, I don't want you following me around."

"What if I walk beside you then?" Ray asked, testing a loophole. The response he got was a warning growl. Ray gave a heavy sigh and decided to give it one last try, "But I told you I'd stay nearby until you had your power back."

Kai took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I neither want nor need a bodyguard," he stated carefully. "I can take care of myself."

Ray shifted his gaze to the side thoughtfully. "Kai, you always want to look out for everyone else, I keep trying to tell you that it works both ways. You can't expect to do all the giving. It doesn't work like that. We care about you too and we want to watch out for you just as much as you watch out for us. I'll give you your space but I want you to think about that," Ray stated as he looked at Kai again. "I don't know why you never want to accept help, Kai. I get that you value your independence, but it doesn't make you weak to accept help now and then. If you need me I'll be in the library."

"Whatever," Kai muttered, making a point of going in the opposite direction of the library. Ray sighed again and headed off to the library feeling like he'd failed.

000

Hobby shops were becoming popular again and it looked like the sport of Beyblade really was recovering from the whole BEGA incident. To celebrate the BBA's return Mr Dickenson decided to organise a new Beyblade tournament and had fliers put up all around the city to advertise it. He dearly hoped he could count on the boys to take part. Tyson would surely come forward. There was no keeping that boy from Beyblading.

The fliers caught a lot of attention despite the rain and a hooded figure stood in front of the Tate's Hobby Shop window reading one. The build suggested male. His posture seemed somewhat defeated and he held a rectangular object in one hand, doing his best to shelter it from the weather.

"Hurry up, guys," Kenny complained, rushing along with his laptop under his jacket, "I don't want Dizzi to get wet." He was running along the street with Tyson and Daichi close behind him. The two of them had stopped to look at a poster on the upcoming Beyblade Tournament, but Kenny hadn't wanted to stay there.

"We're coming, Chief," Tyson responded, "Don't worry about it."

"Hey, look, there's another flier in Max's window," Daichi realised, "We can look at it there and the Chief can go inside. It's just a little water."

"Yeah, well that little water isn't good for my laptop," Kenny responded before ducking inside past the stranger.

Tyson and Daichi moved to the window next to the man and looked at the poster. "Aw, I was hoping it would have a date on it," Tyson commented, disappointed.

"It doesn't say anything about how the battles will be played out yet either," Daichi commented.

"It'll be cool if we can get a team format again, so we can have the whole team together. Me, Kai, Max, Ray and you," Tyson told Daichi and the stranger turned their head to them.

"You're Tyson," the man realised, "You're one of Ray's friends.

"Yeah, that's right," Tyson replied, "You know him?"

"Know him? No, not really," the man answered. "I'm acquainted but that's all. I want to give him something, is he around?"

"Uh, no, he had to go home for a while," Tyson answered.

The man nodded in acceptance then held out the rectangular object to Tyson, "May I ask you to make sure he gets this then?"

Tyson looked down and accepted it. "Uh, sure," he answered. It was a photo frame, containing a picture of a young woman. She had long, dark hair and bright yellow eyes. She wore a traditional Chinese dress and smiled softly towards the camera. "So who should I say it's-" Tyson began to ask, looking up to face the man only to find he was walking away down the street, "...from? Huh."

"Well that was weird," Daichi remarked, moving to look at the photo.

"Come on, Daichi, we should head inside," Tyson commented, heading inside with the younger blader. He agreed that it was weird, but there was no point hanging about to let the picture get wet. Besides, the flier didn't say much anyway.

000

Kai's dismissal had stung and Ray wondered what Tala would have done as he browsed the many books that the library had to offer. The redhead would know what to do. Ray wished Tala was there to take care of the situation.

Thinking about it, Ray was sure there had been a time when Kai might have accepted his company even if he refused the protection. But Ray was still getting used to his new power and the first thing he'd done with it was to hurt Kai.

How could he expect Kai to trust him again after that?

Kai SAID he'd forgiven Ray for it, but did he really?

Kai seemed so distant now and the only thing that Ray could think of to cause it was what he'd done. He couldn't help feeling like he'd lost that close friendship he'd had with Kai and he missed it already.

Ray remembered Tyson telling him that he'd envied Ray for that. He also remembered Tyson's advice about having a good, solid argument with Lee to clear the air when their friendship had been strained.

Lee and Kai.

Ray didn't like the idea of picking favourites but if he was honest with himself those two really were his closest friends. Ray cared for all his friends deeply, but he felt a certain brotherhood towards Lee and Kai.

Lee he'd grown up with. Lee was his first friend. It made sense that they were close. But Lee was a hothead. Tyson's opinion of an argument made sense if it was with Lee.

Kai was different. Arguments didn't work with him. Arguing with Kai was draining and upsetting and Ray felt lost. What could he do? How could he make things right again? He missed the days when the biggest problem they had to worry about was who they were going to face in a beybattle next.

What was he even doing here? All he'd managed to do was annoy Kai. He couldn't do anything for Hilary. What use could he possibly have here? Maybe he should go back and help his team. He could help with repairing the damage done in the attack. At least then he would be doing something useful.

But Ray didn't know how to get back. No one had taught him to open the portal yet.

No going back then. Ray wondered how his friends were. He was still mad at the elders for their attitude towards Kai and blinked when he realised he was glaring at the bookshelf.

"Ray, right?" a stranger's voice asked, startling the teen from his thoughts entirely. Ray could kick himself for not noticing the male demon approach him. He smelled similar to Fabian and Ray realised he was the same species. Realising the stranger had asked him a question and what it was, Ray nodded once in confirmation. "I didn't expect you to abandon your guard post," the demon mused.

"I didn't abandon anything. Kai wants his space. I respect that," Ray responded defensively.

"Is that what we're calling it?" the demon asked, seemingly amused, and Ray bristled deciding that he didn't much like this demon. "It shouldn't surprise you really," the demon continued. "He's a loner."

"You don't know Kai. You have no right to talk about him," Ray retorted angrily.

"I don't know him?" the demon responded, "Maybe not personally. We've met, briefly. But I know ABOUT him. More than you do, Ray."

"I don't believe you," Ray told the stranger.

"I suppose he didn't tell you that his family is the cause of our troubles, did he?" the demon asked. "I'll take that look of confusion as a no. Well it's true. We used to have enough demons on the council to manage all the screw-ups. The demons trying to kill the half-casts, the ones trying to enslave them and the ones who THINK they're saving them but are only making matters worse. But then Voltaire got wind of our existence and cut our numbers greatly in experiments. We're struggling to keep things under control because of one Hiwatari and now another one is on the scene doing whatever the Hell he pleases. He even brought a human girl here."

"Her name's Hilary and she's my friend and Kai's girlfriend. She needed help. Fabian brought Tala here before that so I don't see the problem," Ray stated firmly.

"Fabian holds authority here. Kai does not. He didn't have permission."

"If you've got some kind of problem with Kai then why don't you just keep it to yourself? I don't like listening to people badmouthing Kai even at the best of times. Don't go talking about him as if you know him when you don't."

"That's rather sad," the demon responded with a tone of pity.

"What?!" Ray demanded.

"You're so adamant on defending someone like him. Do you think he'd return the favour?"

"I know he would. But that's not the point. It doesn't matter. Kai's my friend and I want you to stop talking about him like that."

"There's something you need to see," the stranger replied. "Come with me."

Ray shook his head. "No. I told Kai that I'd be here."

"He's not going to come looking for you. He doesn't trust you. He won't ever trust you because you're not like him."

"That's not true. Kai does trust me. He told me he does," Ray responded, trying to sound more certain than he felt. In all honesty Ray was quite shaken that this stranger had touched upon his own doubts.

"Come with me," the stranger repeated. "It won't take long. You'll be back before he knows you've gone."

With the acceptance that Kai could come looking for him, Ray felt a little less angered by the demon speaking to him and was admittedly curious about what they wanted to show him. Curiosity won out and Ray nodded his agreement.

000

Ray was led from the library and down several corridors in silence. He tried to memorise the route, but his attention wandered back to his thoughts and he quickly became lost. Ray privately hoped this demon would show him the way back again afterwards. They'd turned several corners and he was disorientated now. His curiosity had gotten him into trouble in the past and Ray hoped this wasn't another such case. He wondered what Kai would say about this; following a complete stranger through an unfamiliar area because he was curious. He most certainly wouldn't be impressed at Ray; that was for sure.

The demon stopped in front of a large set of double doors and looked back at Ray. Satisfied that Ray had followed him, he turned back to the doors and opened one of them. He stepped through it and held it open for Ray who followed him inside.

Ray gasped as he took in the room and what was in it. It was a long room lined with cells. Why had he been brought here? "A prison?" he asked warily.

"More like a ward," the demon answered. "They're all patients."

"Why are they in cells then?" Ray asked, disgusted. "And why are you showing me this? What has any of this got to do with me?"

"It has quite a lot to do with you, Ray. You weren't always a full demon, were you?" the demon responded. "These patients weren't always demon. These are the transformations that went wrong. They're locked up because they're dangerous to themselves and to others."

"But I'm okay," Ray replied, alarmed by this revelation. It was one thing to read about them, but to actually see them? "T'rok looked at me and said I was stable!"

"The one in the first cell here was stable for five years before becoming like that," the stranger responded, gesturing to a cell.

Ray looked and was shocked at what he saw. Inside the cell was a pitiful excuse for a being, mutated beyond recognition and clearly in a lot of pain. They were chained up in a bid to stop them from hurting themselves, but they'd pulled on the shackles so much that they'd torn up the skin around their wrists. They pulled their hand free while Ray watched, slipping it out of the shackle. The restraint wasn't designed for someone who'd lost so much weight. With their hand now free they tore at their own flesh, shrieking in agony. The scream echoed around the room and was answered by wails from the other patients causing an explosion of unbearable noise.

Ray turned back to the stranger who'd led him there. "Do something!"

The demon shook his head. "There's nothing we can do. They don't respond to any treatment and any attempt to stop them only makes them worse. All we can do is try to stop them from harming themselves. But as you can see, it gets to a point where even that is impossible."

"This is wrong! It's...it's..."

"Inhumane?" the demon supplied, almost sneering. "In case it's slipped your notice, we're not human."

"It's barbaric!" Ray snapped.

"And it could be your future," the demon told Ray. "Because of what the Phoenix did to you. I just thought you should know."

Ray shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know what you have against Kai, but he is NOT his grandfather! You are a sick individual. Stay the hell away from us." Glancing at the 'patient' again, Ray slapped his hand over his mouth and ran from the room, stumbling slightly at the door.

"Third door on the right," the stranger called after him but made no move to follow.

000

Ray sat in a chair in the library, in front of the fire. He'd been ill and was still pale from it. The taste of bile still stung his throat but he tried not to think about it. He'd grabbed a book at random to try and distract himself, but he'd yet to open it, staring at the fire with his feet up on the chair in order to curl up slightly.

He'd been directed to a restroom when he'd left the so-called ward and had struggled to return to the library when he was done. A lot of the demons were still ignoring him, but he had found one who was willing to guide him back. He didn't really feel like reading, but he felt even less like exploring. Instead he spent the day with his mind miles away.

000

The next few days passed with little incident. Ray had become quite withdrawn, barely speaking to Kai when their paths crossed and avoiding him otherwise. Ray had been to see Hilary a few times and was glad that she seemed to be recovering well. But he couldn't get what he'd seen out of his mind and had lost his appetite as a result. Most of his time had been spent in the library, returning to the same chair each day. He'd seen the stranger around a few times, but actively avoided him more than he was avoiding Kai.

Kai meanwhile seemed to be reverting back to his old ways, becoming withdrawn and rebuilding the protective wall he'd had around himself when the Bladebreakers had first been formed. His attitude had taken a nosedive too, though it was unclear whether or not losing his power and feeling suddenly insignificant and powerless was the cause to that. However, despite his now human form, the other demons stayed well out of his way. There was no telling when his powers would return and many feared the wrath of a newly restored Phoenix.

Each day, Kai ventured out into the demon world, disappearing like he was famous for, and spending quality time with Dranzer, training for hours on end. Something was clearly on his mind, but nobody seemed prepared to go up to him and ask. His only company was Quinn, as the cat had become very fond of Kai. Other demons often rushed away quietly when the cat appeared, because they'd all learned that when the cat was nearby, Kai wasn't very far away.

It hadn't taken the Russian long to realise that Ray was actively avoiding him and this both hurt him and made him angry. What the hell had he done now? He'd said he wanted space and that he didn't need to be followed around all the time, but that didn't mean he wanted Ray to treat him like he had the plague. Finally he'd had enough of it and sought out the other teen with the full intent of finding out what the problem was. He located Ray in the library and went straight in, Quinn following at his heels.

Hearing footsteps approaching him, Ray tensed and looked up from the book in his hands. It wasn't like he could focus on the words anyway. He'd given up actually trying to take in what it said and was only looking at it to give himself something to do. Seeing that it was Kai, Ray relaxed a little and looked at the page again. He should have known from the smell alone but he was still unnerved by the stranger and hadn't thought to pay enough attention to that.

Stopping in front of him, Kai put his hands in his pockets, trying not to seem as intimidating as he might have done had he folded his arms. "You still avoided me?" he asked bluntly. There was no point in beating round the bush, so Kai just got straight to the point.

Ray closed the book with a small sigh and put it on the armrest beside him. "You wanted your space," he pointed out, "And I guess I needed mine too."

"And are you still wanting it?" Kai asked.

Ray began to shrug but then shook his head a little. He tensed again and looked down one of the aisles of books before glaring. It was that same demon again. What did he even want? The figure headed around a corner, disappearing behind one of the tall bookcases. Ray faced forward again. He looked up at Kai, "I guess not."

"Hn," Kai grunted. "Well in that case let me know when you want to leave. T'rok said Hilary is fit enough to travel."

"Ready whenever you are," Ray replied. "Don't wanna be around that creep anymore anyway," he added under his breath.

Kai nodded once, "Alright. Let's go," he turned and headed back out of the library, towards T'rok's infirmary.

Ray watched Kai go before looking at the floor. He picked up the book again and stood up, moving to put it away. The same demon was there again, watching him, and Ray quickly left to follow Kai. Ray took a few steps out the door before freezing at the sound of a scream. He relaxed again when a couple of youngsters ran past, laughing and shrieking. An older demon rushed after them looking flustered. Clearly they weren't supposed to be running around here, which would explain why Ray had never seen any youngsters there before. Taking a moment to compose himself, Ray wondered if he should tell Kai what he'd seen. He moved again to follow Kai, heading to T'rok's infirmary. "Hey, Kai?" Ray asked hurriedly when he entered the room.

"What, Ray?"

"Uh...never mind," Ray responded, changing his mind. What would Kai say if Ray did tell him? The demon, the things said, the so-called 'ward'. It wasn't like Kai didn't have enough trouble as it was.

Kai didn't bother asking again, turning his attention to both T'rok and Fabian, who were standing by Hilary's bed. Hilary was looking a lot better today and was sitting on the edge of the bed waiting. Kai had told her to be ready as Fabian was going to open the portal for them so they could go back to their own realm.

"Hey, Ray," Hilary smiled when she saw him. She was wearing grey lightweight trousers and a cropped T-shirt. Bandages were still wrapped around her stomach, but she had been told by T'rok that she would be able to remove them in another day or two. Colour was back in her face and she looked a lot brighter.

"Hi, Hilary," Ray replied, returning the smile though it didn't reach his eyes. "You're looking a lot better now," he commented before glancing briefly at Fabian. He decided against speaking to the older demon about it almost immediately. If he couldn't tell Kai then there was no way he could tell Fabian. It was bad enough that he had avoided Kai, without adding a lack of trust to it. "How are you feeling?" Ray asked Hilary.

Hilary's smile was encouraging, "Still a bit sore, but a lot better. T'rok says that hopefully the scars will fade in a few weeks."

"That's great news. You had us all worried there," Ray replied.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Hilary told him, still cheerful. "I'll be more careful next time."

Kai glanced over at her words, but chose not to speak.

Finishing his discussion with T'rok, Fabian opened the portal.

"Can we talk later?" Ray asked Kai quietly and almost warily.

"Don't see any reason why not," Kai replied, before turning to Hilary and lifting her up into his arms. While she was recovering she still had to be careful and so Kai would rather she didn't risk overdoing it.

Ray looked down as he sighed quietly and noticed that Quinn was still following Kai around. It made him laugh and he felt a little better as a result. After T'rok bid them farewell and Fabian informed them that he'd be checking in on them in a few weeks, the group headed back through the portal.

000

As soon as they were back, they found the rest of their group waiting for them. Ray's teammates rushed over to him while Cassie moved towards Hilary. Mariah followed her after checking Ray was okay. "Hilary, thank goodness, we heard you were hurt bad. We were so worried we'd lost you," Mariah told her.

"Kai, I can understand you wanting to save Hilary, really I can," Tala started, "But is it really too much to ask for a word of warning, instead of you just disappearing without a word of explanation?"

While Hilary greeted the girls and apologised for worrying them, Kai simply grunted and walked past Tala, knocking his shoulder slightly as he went. Ray frowned as he watched Kai's behaviour. He could understand Kai being distant towards him, but to Tala? It didn't make any sense, unless he'd missed something...but what?

Having also seen this; Hilary moved away from the girls and approached Tala. "He's been like that for a while now," she commented quietly.

"Something's up," Tala mused aloud, "I'll talk to him." Tala walked past them, being sure not to knock anyone. Ray watched silently and wondered if this was what Kai had meant when he said he could influence other people's decisions. By walking away and shutting them out again. Like he had before, back when they'd first met.

Hilary watched Tala go and wrapped her arms loosely around herself. "Be careful," she murmured.

"Tala will know what to do," Ray commented to Hilary in an attempt to reassure her. He looked to Mariah and Cassie, "Hilary's still to take it easy. Could you take her back and look after her please?" The girls agreed and left with Hilary, setting a gentle pace. Ray turned to Lee, "So, um, about the elders?"

Lee smiled a knowing smile. "I was waiting for you to ask about that," he mused. "Their opinion is still divided."

"Fucking ignorant, stuck-up..." Ray began before stopping himself, covering his mouth, "Oops. Um...were they mad?" he asked.

"About you leaving like that? Yes. Furious. They ranted for days about lack of discipline and how Kai was a bad influence and all that other crap."

Ray heaved out a sigh. "I guess I should apologise to them for that, huh? Anyone wanna place bets on how long they'll chew me out for it?"

"I wouldn't bother right now if I were you," Lee told him. "Tao is really mad. He said that to attack one of his students it to attack all of us, because he taught as all equally. He's not speaking to half the elders. That's how serious it's gotten."

"Where's Tao then?" Ray asked, "I'd much rather speak to him than them anyway."

"At his place last I saw him. He said..." Lee paused as he tried to remember Tao's exact words. "Uh... Oh, 'meditation is a great way to untangle the spaghetti of thoughts inside an empty head'..." Lee shrugged, "Or something like that."

Ray snorted slightly before shaking with laughter. "Yeah, sounds like him. It's good to be back."

Lee also laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good to have you back, pal." Ray's expression fell from one of amusement to one of deep thought. "What's up?"

"I saw something," Ray answered, "Something awful. And I can't get it out of my mind."

Lee frowned. "Wanna talk about it?"

Ray nodded. "I wanna talk to Kai about it later too, but I need to work out how. I've kept it to myself for a few days and he knows I've avoided him. I thought that might be the problem with him, but he's being like that to Tala too...I'm so confused, Lee."

"Hopefully Tala will figure it out," Lee mused. "Come on. Let's go talk somewhere a bit more private." Ray agreed and followed Lee away from any potential audience.

000

Tala found Kai near the falls and wasted no time in trying to speak with the younger Russian. "Alright, what's the deal?" he asked.

Kai glanced briefly over his shoulder before looking back at the water, "Nothing. Go away, Tala."

"Not until you tell me what your problem is. There's something going on and it's more than just Hilary getting hurt. What the hell, Kai? Talk to me," Tala responded. "Did you fall out or something?"

Resisting the urge to snarl, Kai remained silent.

"If you don't answer, I'll make something up," Tala told him, "And it'll be as embarrassing as I can come up with."

"Hn. Whatever."

"Did someone kick your ass?"

Kai felt his temper start to creep up. "Go away, Tala," he repeated, a little more forcefully this time.

"No," Tala answered with more force. "Not until you give me some answers. Tell me what's wrong with you. You're acting weird. Even a blind person could see it."

"It's none of your business," Kai snapped. "Back off."

Tala sighed heavily and decided to try a calmer approach. "Kai, you're shutting people out. It's obvious and it's making people worry. You know out of all of them I can understand better, so will you just talk to me?"

Kai felt his anger turn more into frustration and he grit his teeth. "It's not that easy," he said at last. "And it won't do anything either. So just drop it, Tala, alright?!"

"If you tell me what the problem is then I can help you find a solution."

"I already have a solution and this is it," Kai told him. "I'm fine."

"Really?" Tala sneered. "This? Walking away and hiding is your grand plan? If you want people to stop bugging you then you should at least act normal, Kai."

Kai spun round and glared at him. "This IS normal!" he shouted. "This is how I act. If you don't approve then just get lost."

"No, this is how you USED to act," Tala corrected him.

"So what if it is?!" Kai exclaimed. "Maybe it was better this way. Maybe everything would be better if I'd just stayed in Biovolt!"

Tala's eyes flashed dangerously and he stormed right up to Kai, grabbing him by the lapel and pulling him closer, almost eye-level but not quite. "Say that again," he hissed, glaring at Kai for even thinking it.

Kai stared him hard in the eyes. "You heard me," he said. "Tell me I'm wrong."

"You KNOW you're wrong!" Tala responded. "That place fucked us all up! We were taken in by the lies and messed with to a point where we can hardly be called human! And that's just those of us who survived. That place was Hell and don't you DARE look on it favourably! What the Hell is wrong with you?! How could say that?! How could you even think it?! Are you fucking brain-dead?!"

"I'm a weapon, that's what I am!" Kai bellowed, shoving Tala away from him. "Everywhere I go a trail of pain and destruction follows. There's no escaping it! I almost wish I'd died in the abbey that day when Black Dranzer reacted to me!"

Tala moved closer again and pushed Kai back slightly to set him off balance a little before punching him in the face. "I can't believe you!"

Kai grunted as he landed hard on the rocky ground, but kept otherwise silent. A trail of blood quickly ran down his chin from his mouth and he clenched his fists. What he was saying was true and he didn't care if Tala thought otherwise.

"If that's what you believe, Kai, if that's what you truly believe, then I've just lost a lot of respect for you," Tala told him. "After the way I was tampered with how could I ever be classed as human? A weapon, Kai? Try being part-computer. But you made me believe that we were more than that. And now you don't even believe it yourself." Tala looked away. "You disappoint me, Kai."

The younger Russian still didn't get up off the ground, choosing instead to remain where he was. It was almost as if all the fight had been drained out of him. Kai couldn't help it. He was at a complete loss of what to do, anger, frustration, pain, fear, confusion. They all built up inside him until he couldn't take it anymore and two hot trails of tears escaped his eyes and ran down his face. Shutting them, he gritted his teeth and turned his head away shamefully.

To have Tala of all people say that to him hurt more than Kai had even realised it could. But the other boy was right. Kai didn't deserve anyone's respect. He was a total mess. A curse even! And he hated himself for it.

The hard look in Tala's expression dropped, replaced with complete shock. He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. This method was getting him nowhere. Something had obviously happened, something Kai wasn't telling them, and he couldn't help the younger teen unless he found out what it was. There was nothing else for it. He'd have to drop his own walls to make Kai see how serious he was. Kai's behaviour was hurting others, including Tala. He was just better at hiding it than Hilary or Ray. Tala walked over and crouched down in front of Kai. "Kai, look at me," he said firmly, though the aggression was gone.

Rubbing quickly at his eyes to remove the tears, Kai did as Tala instructed. His gaze was empty and completely defeated.

"I'm sorry I lost control there, okay? I still care, Kai. I still think of you as my little brother. That's why you're pissing me off so much with this. Again, do NOT tell anyone I told you that. I will kick your ass for it, do not test me," Tala told him, before sighing again as he tried to think how best to get Kai to speak. "We go back, right? We've had our ups and downs but we've been friends for a long time. We were both at the Abbey. We get each other. We both understand what the other has been through. Talk to me, Kai. Please. Whatever's on your mind, whatever it is that's bothering you. Just tell me about it, because this whole shutting people out and keeping a distance hurts. It's hurting Hilary and Ray and it's hurting me. I don't like to admit it, Kai, but it really does."

Feeling a bit more reassured, Kai pushed himself up into a sitting position. "...It's just hard, Tala," he began quietly. "So much has been happening and it's always got something to do with me. I'm not safe to be around."

Tala wrinkled his nose a little in disdain as he thought about the village. The whole Kai-argument hadn't gone unnoticed by him and he could understand Kai's views. Imagine Kai finding out about their attitude. Not a good thought. And he probably wouldn't have to imagine it for much longer, great, more grief to add to Kai's insecurities. "It's so easy to make enemies, huh?" Tala asked Kai in a bid to keep him talking. "Kai, some people are idiots and I'm afraid there's no cure for stupidity. If they have some beef with you that's their problem, not yours. When are you happier? When you're off on your own or when you're with the people you care about?"

"...I'm happier when I know they're safe," Kai replied. "I'm causing problems on the demon side too." He paused as he considered whether or not to continue, eventually deciding that he owed it to Tala. "A demon who is an ally of Fabian approached me a while ago. Spoke to me. He pretty much said he's waiting for me to turn into Voltaire and accused me of all the problems they've been having because of what he did."

"All that proves is that there are idiots there too, Kai. You're not your grandfather. Anyone with half a brain-cell can tell you that. He's probably jealous of you and trying to cause problems for you. And this right here, the avoiding people because of what some nobody said, that's letting that nobody win. He's not worth it, Kai. Look, if you don't like yourself, then let your friends' opinions be what counts. Don't listen to some jackass who doesn't know what they're talking about," Tala told him.

"...That's easy for you to say," Kai muttered quietly. "You're not the reason for all these problems lately."

"Kai, you're not the reason for all these problems," Tala replied. "Haven't you been listening to a single word I've said?"

The younger Russian didn't reply for a long time, choosing to glare half-heartedly at the ground. "But... Hilary..."

"Made her own choice," Tala put in to finish Kai's sentence.

"Hn," Kai grunted. He wasn't convinced. Tala sighed heavily, preparing himself for an even more lengthy discussion, or lecture, depending how one looked at it.

000

"And the poor sod was tearing his own flesh off, it was horrible," Ray told Lee while they were away from the others. "And the guy did nothing, he said they couldn't be helped and that I could be looking at that same future because of Kai. I don't know his name or what he even has against Kai but I'm pretty sure he's trying to cause a fallout or something. The worst of it is that I'm pretty much letting him win because I've avoided Kai in order to wrap my head around this. I have to tell him, Lee, but I don't know how I'm going to manage that without making Kai think I hate him, because I don't. I don't hate him for changing me, I'm grateful to him for it. But things just haven't been the same since that stupid fight and I just don't know what to do about it."

"You need to pick your timing carefully," Lee told him, "Since it's such a delicate subject."

"Yeah, but the longer I put it off the worse it's going to be. You know; if he'd just yell at me or whatever for what happened in Scotland...I think I'd prefer that. I apologised and he said it was fine, but things just haven't felt the same since. He told Tao not to joke about it, but I can't think what else I could've done to cause it."

Lee looked at him thoughtfully. "Are you sure Kai's as aware of this as you are? You might be overreacting a little?"

Ray was silent for several moments. "Maybe I am just overreacting," he mused with a sigh, "I know I haven't forgiven myself for it. But it does feel like he's become more distant again."

"A lot has happened," Lee mused. "He might have what happened to Hilary on his mind a lot more than he admits."

"I know that's bothering him, but he's felt distant since before that."

"Try talking to Tala about that. He knows Kai better than any of us."

Ray looked at Lee and smiled a little, "Yeah. Yeah, you're right. I'll do that. Thanks, Lee."

"No problem. Glad I could help."

"I'm still going to have to tell Kai about that guy though. I mean...what if that demon tries something else? Kai has a right to know. Not just that...he might need to keep a guard up about it. For the next few days over there; that demon was hanging about a lot and it gave me the creeps."

Lee nodded. "Yeah it's probably best you let him know. Just, choose your words carefully."

Ray nodded his head once. "Yeah, I will," he replied.

000

A few hours later, Ray sought Kai out to speak with him. Kai was once again alone and didn't bother acknowledging Ray as he approached. "Is it okay to talk just now?" Ray asked after a moment.

Kai shrugged, "If you want."

Ray was quiet for a short while as he tried to think how best to word what he wanted to say. "Something happened in the demon realm," he began carefully, "There was this demon, I don't think he likes you much, and he showed me something."

Kai snorted. "I'm used to people not liking me," he said simply. "What did this one have to say?"

"A few things," Ray answered. "Things like you being a loner and not trusting others. He was whining about Hilary and saying you did whatever you wanted. He mentioned your family and he took me to this...room. He said it was a ward; it looked more like a prison. It made me sick, literally. I told him to stay away from us but he spent the rest of the time hovering about nearby."

"The room of unstable demons huh," Kai mused. "I saw that too. But they were in there through fault of their own." He gave Ray a pointed look over his shoulder. "Not someone else's."

"The demon who showed me said that one had been stable for five years before going like that," Ray told Kai, remembering what he'd seen in vivid detail despite trying not to focus on it. "He said I could end up like that. I think he might have been trying to scare me into resenting you. I don't know who he was, he didn't give his name and I didn't ask. At first it was because I was annoyed at him, he just came up to me and started saying things about you and I didn't appreciate that. I could tell he's the same species as Fabian though, but that's all. I just want you to be aware of him, in case he tries something again. And just for the record, I don't resent you at all. I'm grateful for the change. I admit I'm concerned that guy might be right, but that makes him worse for playing on my concerns like he had."

"The demons in that room had all tried to increase their own powers and abilities artificially," Kai informed Ray. "Did this demon tell you that?"

Ray shook his head, "No, he didn't."

Kai snorted, "Figures."

"How long have you known?" Ray asked him after a thoughtful pause.

"A couple of days," Kai answered. "I found the place myself and then demanded an explanation from Fabian himself."

"Wish I'd thought to do that, I didn't even know he'd returned," Ray commented. "Or at least come to you a lot sooner."

Kai shrugged. "Well, you know now at least."

Ray nodded his agreement. "How are you holding up?" he asked to change the subject.

"Fine," Kai answered. Ray considered pressing the matter but decided against it because he figured Kai was under enough stress as it was. He wondered if Kai had noticed the attitude around the village regarding the elders. Kai remained where he was for a while then decided he wanted to go for a walk and so wandered off. Ray left Kai to it, opting not to crowd the other teen. Instead he headed back to the others though he felt a lot better with what Kai had told him.

000

For the next few days, Ray's training resumed. Tao was still not speaking to half the elders and had advised his students not to get involved in the argument in any way. Tala continued to try to speak with Kai but he wasn't making much headway, though it didn't surprise him with the younger Russian's stubbornness.

The arrival of a letter from Kenny brought their attention away from it all though, as the Chief was hoping that Kai and Ray could make it back to Japan for a new Beyblade tournament.

Tao realised that Kai and even Ray, though to a milder extent, were causing some tension within the village and so he insisted that they go and enjoy themselves. His motives were mostly to let the situation calm down, but he didn't feel either teen needed to know that. At Tao's insistence, confusing as it was, the group of five decided to go back to Japan.


	14. Chapter 13

Author Note: DragonAce1999, Rangerapprentice, CorynofHoole and James Birdsong are the only ones who bothered to review. Let me point something out to the rest of you; **Updates would come a lot faster if you motivated us with encouragement**.

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Beyblade (c) Takao Aoki

**Between Two Realms**

Chapter Thirteen

Max was over at Tyson's place along with Kenny and Daichi, waiting for the arrival of Kai, Ray, Hilary, Tala and Cassie. Ray had called them from the airport in Hong Kong to let them know they would be there in a few hours, and now that a few hours had passed it was clear they'd be there any minute. Tyson was still holding on to the picture that the stranger had asked him to pass on to Ray and had put it in a paper bag on the day to protect it. He was hoping Ray would clue him in to what it was all about, but he was almost positive that the lady in the photo was related to Ray. On top of this he was looking forward to blading with the whole team again and was as bad as Daichi when it came to failing to sit still.

Daichi was currently crouched on the wall by the main gate, shielding his eyes as he looked down the road. He jumped up when he saw the group approaching. "They're here!" he shouted excitedly.

"That's great!" Tyson responded, rushing out to meet the group.

Hilary smiled and waved as she saw Tyson and the others appear. "Hey guys," she greeted happily. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," Kenny responded with a smile. "Did you guys have a good time?"

Hilary smiled bravely, "Yeah. There were a few small glitches, but other than that it was good."

"What kind of glitches?" Daichi asked.

"It doesn't matter," Hilary told him, looking at the whole group. "Let's go inside and have a catch up. How about that?"

"Yeah, sounds great," Tyson agreed brightly. "We've been looking forward to you guys getting back."

"So what's the news on this tournament?" Kai asked once they were all in the house and sitting round the table by the TV.

"Well, it's back to the team format instead of the tag-teams," Tyson answered. "Although tag-teams are allowed if it's agreed upon by both sides. They feel that it will let more bladers get a chance to show off their skills."

"Hopefully that will mean less fighting within the team between certain members," Kenny put in teasingly.

"Give me a break, Chief," Tyson groaned causing Max and Ray to laugh.

"It's great that we can all be on the same team again," Max commented.

"Speak for yourselves," Tala told them all with a smirk. "I'm gonna have to phone up the Blitzkrieg Boys and see if they're interested in taking part."

"And you'll have to put up with Ian," Tyson teased him.

"They'll come," Kai told Tala. "There's no way they'd miss it, fighting these guys again in an official tournament."

"We'll be glad to whoop you guys again," Tyson boasted.

"Don't get overconfident, Tyson," Max told him.

"Are you kidding?" Daichi joined in, "We're gonna win this!"

"Save your breath, Max," Kenny commented, "They're not listening. Besides, they've been told more than once and it never helps."

"Aw, come on, I can take on anyone," Tyson replied.

"Hn, we'll see," Kai mused, locking eyes with Tyson.

"How about a practice match," Tyson suggested to him.

To everyone's surprise, Kai shook his head, turning down the offer. "Not right now, Tyson."

"Okay," Tyson shrugged, though he had to admit he was a little disappointed. He turned his head as Ray stood up. "How about you then, Ray?"

"Maybe later," Ray responded with smile. "I'm going to go out for a bit. I need to make a phone call. Long distance. I'll get this out the way and then I'll be free to knock you down a few pegs."

"Oh yeah? Well you better get in some practice first while you're out because I won't hold back," Tyson responded.

"Okay," Ray replied brightly as he headed out the door.

Tyson suddenly gasped, "Oh no, I forgot to give him that picture. Ray," he called only to hear Ray's response of 'later' and the front door closing. Tyson looked back at Kai, Hilary, Tala and Cassie, "Any of you know what that was all about?"

Kai grunted quietly and stood up. "It's none of our business," he stated simply, before leaving through another door and disappearing.

"Hey, we just got the gang back together and you guys are already ditching," Tyson commented before sighing dramatically and Max laughed at him.

"Hey, Tyson, I'll take you on," Daichi commented.

"Alright," Tyson agreed.

"Cool," Max commented, "Good call."

000

Ray's phone call to France didn't go as he had expected, but had actually worked out better. He had planned to go straight to France after his training, but changed his mind with the tournament and was going to arrange to head out at some point after. Instead, it turned out that his uncle was actually in Japan to watch the tournament. His colleagues had given Ray the number to the hotel and so Ray had placed a call to the man and arranged to go and meet him there.

Ray glanced around the lobby of the hotel and started to head for the reception but stopped when a man left the elevator and approached him. Ray smiled and headed over to him. "Hello Uncle," he greeted as he joined Stan and embraced the man, "I'm glad you're here, I have to speak to you. It's about Mama."

Stan nodded his head. "Alright, come on up to my room and we'll talk," he replied and led Ray to the elevator. "We probably should have done this a long time ago, but you seemed happier and I didn't want to undo that."

"I actually had forgotten a lot," Ray admitted as Stan opened the door to his room and let the teen in. Stan gestured to one of the chairs and Ray sat down while the man made two cups of tea and sat opposite Ray, handing him one of the cups. "Thanks. What brought this all up was that I had a dream about when she died. I remember they were mad at each other that night."

Stan had expected Ray to ask him about it all sooner or later and so he wasn't at all surprised. "As children, Hal and I were rather close," he began his tale and Ray stayed silent, paying attention. They both sipped their tea on occasion throughout it. "We had the odd brotherly spat, but nothing serious. When we reached the stage of being interested in girls that all changed. We both fell for the same woman, Meiling, your mother. She was a beautiful person, inside and out, kind and patient with everyone and doing her best to understand in any given situation. She loved Spring because it brought new life to a barren land, she preferred pork to ham and her favourite colour was lilac but she liked white lilies.

"I loved Meiling, but she chose Hal," Stan rounded off, realising he was getting lost in the memory of the only woman he loved, and wanting to get back on track to give Ray the information he was looking for. "And I respected her choice because it was hers and I wanted her to be happy. When you came along, Meiling felt you were the greatest gift she could ever receive. She was proud and glad to have had you, but Hal wasn't ready for fatherhood and had left before you were even born. I never stopped loving your mother and the two of you were family so I stepped in to help her cope.

"Hal returned to the village and jumped to the conclusion that I had moved in on her. This wasn't the case at all, but he wouldn't accept that and then started thinking that something had been going on between us from the start. He figured that I was too accepting of her choosing him over me, that I should have fought her decision and he accused Meiling of stringing him along. He also thought that you and I were far too close for an uncle and nephew.

"Hal wasn't around and so you didn't know him and were, understandably, a bit shy with him. But he had his suspicions and wouldn't listen to anyone. Hal completely rejected you, believing I was your father and that you were the product of an act of betrayal. He left the village again and met someone else, only returning when word reached him that Meiling was sick and dying. I'm sorry, Ray."

Ray smiled a little but it was mostly forced, "It's okay, Uncle. I asked for the truth. I expected it to be something like this." Stan reached over and rested his hand on Ray's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Was Mama faithful?" Ray asked after a moment.

"Entirely," Stan confirmed. Ray nodded and quietly thanked the man. Ray stayed with his uncle for a few hours before heading back to Tyson's, not wanting his friends to worry about him.

000

"Hey guys, I'm back," Ray called as he returned.

"Welcome back," Max greeted cheerfully, "Everything okay?"

"Mm," Ray responded, joining the group, "Yeah. It turns out my uncle's actually in town to watch the tournament, so when I found out I went to see him. I had some questions, got the answers and then we were chatting and I lost track of time."

"Well it's good you got the chance to catch up," Tyson commented as he cleaned his blade. "We've just been talking about the tournament. I thought it would be good to work on some cool new combination attacks, in case we end up having a Battle Royale. What d'you think?"

"Sounds good," Ray agreed with a nod before adding playfully "Wow, Tyson, thinking ahead?"

"Shut up, man," Tyson told him, before grinning. "Just because I thought of it before you did."

"Well, you're the one most likely to incite a Battle Royale, so I guess it makes sense that you'd think of it first," Ray replied.

"Well I for one hope that doesn't happen," Kenny spoke up from behind his laptop. "If it does, knowing you guys and your reputation, there won't be a stadium left."

"What have I told you about being a worrywart?" Tyson asked him pointedly.

"I'm just voicing my concern is all," Kenny retorted.

"Just so long as Tyson doesn't blame me when he sucks," Daichi commented.

"You're one to talk, Daichi," Tyson snorted.

"So where's Kai?" Ray asked suddenly. "Or rather, when did he leave?"

"Dunno," Max shrugged. "He just suddenly wasn't here anymore. But you know Kai. Tala left to walk Cassie home and Hilary went back to her house too."

"Ah, yeah, sounds like Kai," Ray agreed with a nod and Daichi poked Tyson in the ribs before pointing to a paper bag sitting to one side.

Tyson caught Daichi's finger and proceeded to bend it backwards while casually reaching for the bag. "Ray, this came for you," he said while holding it out.

"OW, quit it or I'll bite you!" Daichi shouted over Ray's response as the older boy accepted the bag curiously.

The paper bag had the Tate's Hobby Shop logo on it, but inside was a frame and Ray drew it out to find that it held a photograph. He gasped when he saw the picture was of a woman, one he'd known and had only been speaking about an hour ago. "Who...Where did this come from?" he asked Tyson, unable to believe what he was seeing.

"Some guy handed it to me outside Max's," Tyson explained. "I didn't get a proper look at him though. But he wanted to make sure you got it."

Ray looked at Tyson and then back at the picture. He turned the frame over in his hands and examined the back. The back was held on to the frame with small bits of metal which would bend easily. Ray moved to sit down as he carefully took the back out, making sure not to damage the picture or frame. Between the photograph and the back of the frame was another sheet of paper with some writing on it and Ray removed that before putting the frame back together again and then reading what was on the sheet. "Oh," Ray murmured, reading through the note again. "It's from my father... He wants me to go and meet him." Despite the revelation, Ray felt oddly calm about it. The hate and anger had faded and Ray wondered if that had been influenced by the change. "What should I do?"

The others didn't really know what to say, with it being such a delicate subject. Max sat down next to Ray and smiled encouragingly. "Whatever you feel comfortable with. We're here if you need us. You know that."

Ray turned the picture over, looking at it once again. "This was my mother. I didn't really remember her much. That's why I went to see my uncle," Ray explained glancing at Max. "I didn't know there were any pictures of her. It's something that I really wanted; I can't believe he did this. This doesn't make what he did okay. But I think it's a good start to bridge the gap. I'm sorta nervous though 'cause the last time I saw him I told him I never wanted to see him again."

"I'm sure he'll understand, Ray," Kenny said. "The fact that he's given you such an important picture at least shows that he's trying."

Ray nodded his agreement. "I don't want to go live with him though, I don't know him well enough for that and I won't for a long time. That's what first put me off him, wanting me to just start over and trying to force me to leave the village against my will. I'll talk with him, but I'm not going to give up what I have. He's too late for that; I just hope he accepts that." The others nodded in complete understanding. Ray was grateful for their support and acceptance, but with the circumstances he was feeling a little crowded. He figured a little walk would be a good way to clear his head and he was almost certain he could sense a demon arriving rather suddenly, not too far from the dojo, which had him curious anyway. "I know I only just got back, but I'm gonna go take a walk and think things through. Thanks, guys."

"Okay, see you later," Tyson waved him off, before challenging Max and Daichi to a practice match. They both said bye to Ray and then eagerly agreed.

000

Kai stood on the edge of the far out pier of the harbour, arms folded and scarf blowing back from the cold wind. A low fog was clinging to the water's surface, which was choppy and getting worse by the minute. Winter was definitely on the way. Breathing out deeply, Kai watched as the cloud of his breath was pushed past him. The wind was coming from over the sea and the chill reminded him of Russia.

Russia... Home... Or at least, the closest he'd ever had to a home.

For the first time in a long while, Kai realised he missed it. He missed the cold, frozen tundra of Siberia, the isolation, the feeling that he was the only person for hundreds of miles and the simplicity of that belief.

When he was in Russia he was free to forget about his past and actually step out of the shadow that Boris and Voltaire had cast over him. But here in Japan he was constantly reminded of it.

He thought of the whole fiasco with BEGA which had ended in disaster for the city. The company that he had reluctantly inherited from the man whose blood he shared.

Kai clenched his fists as he remembered the man who'd done everything in his power to turn Kai into a mindless weapon, not caring who he had to cut down in order to achieve such a goal. Kai thought of all the lives that had been affected...and not just humans. A whole other world that until fairly recently he'd had no idea existed. They'd paid a hefty price because of Voltaire's twisted plans.

And then there was his mother...

Kai closed his eyes as he tried to block out the memories.

"Alone again," a voice commented, almost snidely.

The Russian sighed. "Do you really have nothing better to do than pester me?" he asked. "Get lost."

"Now that's not very friendly," the hooded demon responded as he approached Kai.

Kai shrugged. "We're not friends," he countered simply.

The demon laughed a little. "No, we're not," he agreed. "In fact, I'm surprised you even have any friends with how you close them all out."

"Stick and stones," Kai muttered. He would NOT stoop to this guy's level. He was better than that. The demon was nothing more than a nuisance to him.

"Kai," a voice called and the demon turned his head at a little as they were joined by Ray. "I told you to stay the hell away from us," Ray commented as he looked at the hooded figure.

"Ray," Kai addressed him in a warning tone. "Don't get involved."

"Don't get involved?" Ray asked, "I've met this creep before. He's the one who showed me that ward. How do you know him?" Kai looked away refusing to answer.

"Still pathetically trying?" the demon asked Ray mockingly. "I told you already, he's a loner and you're wasting your time. He doesn't trust anyone enough to let them in, but you already know that."

"Shut up," Ray snarled, his pupils turning to slits and the demon laughed.

"Ray, just go," Kai told him a bit more firmly. "This doesn't concern you."

"Well then tell me what exactly this is," Ray responded, "Because it seems to concern me enough for him to hover about me in the demon realm."

Kai looked back at him and frowned. "He's just some shit stirrer with a superiority complex."

"You should leave," the demon commented to Ray. "He won't tell you anything, he never does. He likes to keep secrets, like in Scotland."

"Scotland?" Ray asked, frowning in confusion then shaking his head. "You're trying to mess with my head again. What happened in Scotland was my doing. It had nothing to do with secrets."

The flame covered fist came flying without warning, catching the demon completely off guard as it collided with his jaw and sent him crashing back into the side of the lighthouse. "That's enough!" Kai shouted. "Just leave us alone."

"Kai," Ray gasped, shocked by the sudden outburst, while the demon took a few moments to try to gather himself again.

"I oughta fix that mouth of yours so it never speaks again!" Kai snarled; eyes dark and dangerous as he advanced on the demon. "What happened in Scotland has nothing to do with Ray, so leave him out of it. I'm warning you!"

Ray stared at Kai in utter confusion. "Kai, what do you mean? What happened in Scotland has nothing to do with me? It wasn't the fight?"

The demon picked himself up, laughing. "He has no idea and he'll still stubbornly defend your name," he commented to Kai in amusement. "I thought seeing some harsh reality might put a stop to that naivety, but I guess not."

The air suddenly turned heavy as Kai grabbed the demon's throat and forced him to the floor, cracking the concrete beneath them with the force. A wisp of black energy swirled around Kai's arm as he increased the pressure. The demon was caught between satisfaction and alarm. Satisfaction that he'd proven Kai was untrustworthy, but a sense of alarm came as a response to the strength he was faced with. He wasn't overly surprised though because playing with fire was sure to get you burned. Despite the danger he'd put himself in; he was finding it highly amusing.

"Kai, don't," Ray spoke up. "He wants you to lose it."

Kai growled through his clenched teeth. "Well maybe I want to as well," he replied. The black energy started to crackle and burn his own skin as well as the demon. Kai's heart was pounding so fast it was deafening in his head. He didn't want to stop. The rush of power was incredible, the urge to do harm and cause damage. His mind was black.

Ray approached Kai and cautiously touched his arm to get his full attention, "Kai, please."

Wild amethyst eyes flashed towards Ray and stared at him for a long moment. Kai was like an exposed nerve, ready to snap at any second. His breaths were fast and sharp as he tried to decide who to listen to. Ray? Or the dark voice in the back of his mind?

Finally, Ray's words broke through, forcing the crackling black sparks to recede. Kai's hand left the demon limply as his eyes clouded over and he tipped sideways right into Ray.

Ray quickly caught Kai and steadied him while the demon choked and gasped to get his breath back, gulping down the oxygen greedily. Ray watched the demon warily from where he knelt. "I don't know who you are, but I know you're the same race of demon as Fabian. I know your kind can sense people's emotions, identify their fears and even search through their memories. Despite this you don't know as much as you think you do and you certainly don't know Kai. You've also overstayed your welcome, and if that's not an understatement I don't what is."

"I never told you my name, did I," the demon responded with a mockery on manners, "It's Gavin."

"I don't care. You should go," Ray told him.

A soft glow appeared from inside Kai's jacket as Dranzer rose up out of his blade, spreading his wings wide above Kai and Ray. He was joined seconds later by Driger, growling and snarling as he swished his tail in agitation. Both bit beasts stared down threateningly at Gavin, ready to protect their partners.

Ray looked up at them before facing Gavin again. The older demon stood up straight, or as straight as he could with his stagger, and turned away and left. A portal ripped open right in front of him and closed just behind him. Clearly he didn't like the idea of taking on Dranzer and Driger. Ray turned his attention back to Kai.

Eyes opening slowly, Kai lifted his head and looked up. "Ray?" he asked quietly, clearly more than a little disorientated.

"Yeah," Ray responded, relieved that Kai had come round, "You okay?"

Kai's eyes lowered to his arm and the strange burns on it. He sighed. "I lost it, didn't I?" he asked, disappointed.

"A little," Ray admitted, "But you snapped out of it again."

Moving away from Ray's support, Kai carefully climbed to his feet. He gazed up at Dranzer and Driger. "Thanks guys," he said. Dranzer nodded once and then disappeared. Driger however remained, looking to Ray to see if he was still needed.

"Thanks, pal," Ray said as he stood up and scratched Driger's head before dismissing him. Once the white tiger was gone, Ray turned to Kai again. He considered asking Kai to explain what was meant about Scotland and about what had happened, but he didn't want to risk annoying Kai.

Kai clenched his fists, only stopping when his whole arm ached. It seemed there was more damage than simply a burn to his skin. "That guy," he growled. "I'll get him next time. Mark my words."

"He said his name's Gavin," Ray commented. "How did you meet him?"

"...He confronted me when we were still back in Scotland," Kai explained reluctantly, "And accused me of being like Voltaire. That everything that has happened is his fault and so I should take the blame."

"So that's what's been bothering you since then?" Ray asked. "I thought... Kai, you know it's not true. You're not like him. And why should you take the blame for something you were trying to stop? Gavin's just ignorant and pig-headed."

"...Because we share the same blood," Kai said in a low voice, recalling Voltaire's exact words from years ago at the world championships. "And it's blood that the surviving demons want in recompense."

Ray frowned, remembering the elders commenting on background against Kai. He still didn't know exactly what they had been referring to but it certainly held racist implications. So if it wasn't where he was born or who he was raised by, it was whose blood he shared. Kai could never catch a break from anyone and Ray felt awful for his friend about that. "There has to be something we can do to help," he commented.

"I'm the only one who can do anything. I'll stand before their judgement, and atone for the sins of my grandfather, until the last of their hate and thirst for revenge has been sated. My family owes it to them."

"Kai, if your grandfather's death didn't satisfy them then taking it out on you won't help either. It's not right and you shouldn't accept it," Ray responded.

"I don't have a choice!" Kai shouted.

Ray frowned and looked away, "Sorry."

Kai hung his head, shadowing his eyes with his bangs. "I don't have a choice," he repeated far more quietly, before taking off at a run into the thickening fog.

_There has to be a choice, but how can I make him see that without aggravating him any further?_ Ray wondered as he moved to follow Kai.

000

Kai ran with no real destination in mind. His breath clouded in front of him as he darted in between buildings and several large parked trucks at the harbour. He had no idea what had caused him to snap like this, but he couldn't risk being too close to any of his friends now. They'd just end up hurt. That's what always happened.

Despite his best intentions and all his efforts, the people he cared about were always left to suffer. He really was Voltaire's grandson. He lived up to the Hiwatari name brilliantly. There was no escaping it.

Why couldn't he have just died that day at the abbey when he launched Black Dranzer? Or the day the building collapsed with Tala, Bryan and himself still inside it?

"Kai..."

He skidded to an abrupt halt at hearing the gentle voice that had floated through the air to his ears. Glancing around, he took note of his surroundings. He was in a small alleyway, not unlike the ones he and the Blade Sharks used to haunt years ago.

"Who's there?" he demanded, looking around anxiously. The fog clung to the ground and shadows swallowed half of the alley, making it difficult to see properly.

"I'm here," the voice came again.

Kai started and looked ahead. A sharp gasp escaped his lips as the figure of a woman stepped into view. Her long hair was braided loosely and hung over one shoulder, while her knee length dress swayed gently in the breeze.

Her smile was warm and understanding, her eyes caring. Kai found himself stumbling towards her as she opened her arms.

"I'm here," she repeated, closing her arms around him once he was within reach.

The warmth that wrapped itself around Kai caught him off guard, but he didn't pull free. In fact he welcomed it as he allowed himself to be lulled into a state of total relaxation. All his earlier thoughts left him, followed slowly by his consciousness as his eyes suddenly grew heavy and slipped closed. His body slumped to the ground as the woman knelt and placed a delicate hand on his head, smoothing his hair back.

"You're okay now," she said quietly.

Following Kai hadn't been too difficult for Ray despite the fog and the head-start. Ray's speed and heightened senses made up for it. Ray paused, looking around and listening carefully. He knew Kai was nearby, but he couldn't tell exactly where. Finally locating Kai, Ray was surprised to see Kai on the ground with woman standing over him. "Who..." Ray began uncertainly as he wondered what had happened to his friend.

The woman looked up at him for a moment and smiled, but said nothing. Instead of offering an explanation, she turned and disappeared around a corner further down the alley.

"Hey," Ray called, bewildered by this action and moved to follow her, glancing at Kai as he passed and making a mental note to return as soon as possible. He rounded the corner and jarred to a halt, looking around in confusion. It was a dead end and there was no sign of the woman. "Huh?" Ray looked around but saw nothing that would suggest where she'd gone or how she'd pulled the disappearing act. He sniffed the air to find out if there was any trace of scent left to give away the trick, but the only smell that stood out was that of approaching snow. Completely baffled, Ray walked back to Kai's side and checked on him. After a failed attempt to awaken his friend, Ray manoeuvred the Russian onto his back and made his way back to the dojo, still wondering about the strange woman who had simply vanished.

000

"I wonder where Kai and Ray are," Max commented as he, Tyson and Daichi set out the futons for the night. "I hope they're okay. It's getting cold out there."

"Yeah," Tyson agreed. "I'm sure they're both fine. They can handle themselves. Hey, is it just me or did they both seem... I dunno... a little off? I can't really explain what I mean, just they seemed different but I don't know why. Though Ray did seem like himself again when he got back from seeing his uncle, so I think that was something to do with his mother, but Kai... It must be Hilary getting hurt... She's okay now though. It must have really scared him for it to show that something's up. D'you think there's any way we can help?"

Max hummed thoughtfully. "It's a really delicate subject," he mused. "Don't get me wrong, I wanna help as much as you do. But I don't know if Kai would appreciate it. You know what he's like."

Tyson sighed, "Yeah. I know, but I wanna help him 'cause he's my friend but he won't let me and it's so frustrating!"

"Try starting a fight with him," Daichi suggested. "That's how you and I sort things out."

"I think Kai would probably ditch if I did that," Tyson mused aloud.

Daichi grinned devilishly, "Yeah right. You're just scared he'd beat you."

"I am not, I just know Kai a lot better than you do," Tyson retorted.

"Whatever you say," Daichi sniggered. Tyson smirked and picked up a pillow which he threw at Daichi in response, prompting an immediate pillow fight.

Outside, Ray had just returned through the gate and was wondering how best to open the door without disturbing Kai, though he wasn't sure Kai could be disturbed as he seemed pretty much out of it. Ray glanced over his shoulder to check on Kai briefly, still no closer to figuring out what had happened. Who had that woman been? What had happened to Kai to leave him unconscious? He didn't appear to be hurt... Maybe it was stress. But that still left the question of why that woman had been there. And Ray's thoughts were running in circles now.

Tala, who had been waiting outside for them to return, stepped out of the shadows immediately and approached Ray. "What happened?" he asked, looking over Kai himself with a critical eye.

"I'm not sure," Ray answered honestly. "There was this demon who was annoying him and Kai sorta lost it for a moment, but he snapped out of it again. Then he left after saying he didn't have a choice but to accept their hate towards him because of Voltaire. I followed and found him out cold and there was this woman but she went around a corner and just vanished into thin air."

Tala frowned and lifted his hand to carefully place over Kai's forehead. "Well he doesn't have a temperature, so that's something," he mused. "But I've never seen him like this before except after big battles." Tala removed his hand. "We'd better get him inside."

Ray agreed, grateful that someone was there and he wouldn't need to struggle with the doors. "The whole thing left me confused, but after hearing myself say it out loud like that it sounds crazy," he commented as he headed for the building. "She wasn't a demon, I would have sensed it if she was. And the portal didn't open. It was a dead end round the corner and there wasn't a single trace. As for that demon...Kai says he met him in Scotland and that he was blaming him for Voltaire. I met him in the demon realm and I'm pretty sure he was trying to turn me against Kai from the things he said and did. I'm not surprised he was annoyed at the guy. You know, I honestly thought Kai was still mad at me for that fight we had in Scotland."

"Kai's not the type to hold grudges unless it's about something really serious," Tala told Ray as they went inside. He frowned as he thought about what Ray had just told him, "So this woman. What did she look like?"

"Well, she had long, grey hair that was over one shoulder in a loose braid, but she wasn't elderly, and she wore a grey dress that came down to her knees," Ray answered.

Tala instantly looked back at Kai for a moment, seemingly shocked by something. "We need to talk," he said to Ray suddenly. "So let's get him seen to first."

Ray nodded his agreement and carried Kai through to the dojo. "Oh good, you guys started setting up the futons," he observed, using the word started because the three boys had been in the middle of a pillow fight. "You know what, second thoughts, I'm gonna put Kai in your room, Tyson. As you were," he commented as he turned away from the chaos.

The other stopped their game abruptly, all in shock at the sight of Kai unconscious on Ray's back. "Don't ask," Tala told them before they could say anything. "We'll tell you in the morning. But don't worry, he's just out cold." Moving to Kai's bag, Tala pulled some kind of small book out of it and then followed after Ray.

000

Ray set Kai on the bed in Tyson's room and did what he could to make sure Kai was comfortable. A glance out the window showed Ray that it had started to snow and he pulled the curtains closed to help keep the room that little bit warmer. He could hear some laughter from the others as they started their game again, reassured by Tala's words.

Tala stepped in and shut the door behind him. "Thanks for doing that, Ray," he said. "I had to grab something from the other room." He held up the small black book, before opening it and pulling a photo out. He held it out to the other teen. "Is that the woman you saw?" he asked.

The woman in the picture had long grey hair like Ray had described, but it was tied up in a neat bun on her head, with a decorative headdress wrapped carefully around it. She was sitting on a chair in an elegant purple dress with a gentle smile on her face.

Ray looked at the picture and nodded. The hair was in a different style, but that was something a person could easily change. It was her facial features that gave her away. "Yeah, that's her," he confirmed. "You know her?"

"...No," Tala replied quietly. "Are you one hundred per cent sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," Ray answered. "If it wasn't her then it was someone who looked exactly like her. Why?"

Tala sighed heavily, not sure how to react. It was impossible. There was just no way. "...I never met her," he began hesitantly. "But I know enough about her to explain a few things. Her name is Alexandra Zjukovski." He locked eyes with Ray. "Does that mean anything to you?"

"The surname sounds familiar..." Ray answered, frowning as he tried to remember where he'd heard it before. "I know I've heard it, I can't think where though..."

"You saw it in a passport," Tala supplied for him. "Zjukovski was her maiden name. But she was later known as Alexandra Hiwatari." He glanced briefly at the teen in the bed. "...And she's Kai's mother."

Ray stared at Tala. He felt cold and unsteady, and he wouldn't be surprised if the colour had drained from his face. Kai had told Ray she'd been murdered. Reason suggested that Ray had simply been mistaken when he looked at the picture, but Ray knew he hadn't. Ray had always been rather neutral on the whole ghost thing. He didn't believe they weren't real, but he'd never seen any evidence to show that they were real. At least not until now that was. But it explained so much. Like how she vanished and why he couldn't smell her. But it left some questions like why he was able to see her and why he'd seen something like that now. "She's dead..." Ray mumbled, unable to think of anything else to say.

Tala nodded gravely. "Yes, for many years now." He placed the photo back in Kai's book and closed it carefully. "Now you'll understand why I seemed so anxious about it when you described her to me."

Ray nodded, understanding completely. He was pretty shocked himself. "Um, I think I'm gonna go sit down..." he murmured. "Maybe grab a cup of tea...or something. You want anything?"

Tala nodded. "Sounds like a good idea," he replied, feeling shocked himself. "Let's leave him to sleep."

Ray agreed with the suggestion of letting Kai sleep and headed though to the kitchen. It was a wonder that Kai wasn't disturbed by the noise of the others, but at the moment even Ray was barely registering them. "Today's just been crazy," he muttered to himself.

"Is there ever any other kind of day?" Tala asked pointedly.

"Not since I joined these guys," Ray answered with a slight laugh.

Tala let his lips curve in a brief smile, before frowning thoughtfully as he put the kettle on to boil. "I can't help but wonder..." he murmured hesitantly, "...what Alexandra wants."

"Is she trapped, or simply watching over him? And why did I see her?" Ray put in, "Appearing to Kai is understandable, but I'd never met her and had nothing to do with her whatsoever. And why now?"

"I wish I had the answer," Tala told him. "I can't think of a reason either. The only thing that comes to mind is that it's coming up to the anniversary of her death."

"It is? Oh man, I feel really bad for Kai. Hilary got hurt really bad and he's scared that next time she won't be so lucky, that demon Gavin stirring up trouble and the anniversary?" Ray stared out the window at the snow falling for a few moments. It was already getting heavier, the flakes larger, and it was settling without any doubt at all. "There are demons who hate Kai for what Voltaire did. Kai was affected by it more than they were. By all rights they should be on the same side. But with Voltaire gone they want to take it out on Kai. He shouldn't have to accept that. You're probably aware of what some of the elders in my village were saying too."

"I heard a few things, yes," Tala confirmed. "It's bothering Kai a lot more than he's letting on. But he can handle it, I'm sure."

"Do you know if he found out anything about the elders?" Ray asked Tala. "I tried keeping it from him because he really doesn't need any more added on top of what he's already dealing with. It's a load of bullshit anyway. What the elders were saying about him. They're pretty pissed off at me too right now for the lack of respect but I don't feel they've earned it so I don't care. It's not the first time they've been pissed at me anyway. But Kai's pretty good at finding things out even if you try to keep it from him. I was hoping things would calm down again and they'd see reason before Kai found out."

"Knowing Kai, he probably caught on. He's always been sensitive that way." Tala finished making the tea and handed one mug to Ray. "His problem right now is he's feeling weak and stressed out. I think this tournament couldn't have come at a better time. He needs something to get his self-confidence back up."

"Thanks," Ray murmured as he accepted the mug. "Speaking of the tournament, did you get in touch with your team?"

"Yeah. They're coming over to prepare next week," Tala answered. "What about the White Tigers? Are they interested at all?"

"Probably. Tao thinks it's an idea for us to be away from the village for now. But I'm entering with Tyson. If they do enter; it'll be without me. Lee and I have a bit of a rivalry and it'll be good fun to compete against him in a tournament again," Ray answered. "I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of your team again. It's been a while."

"Yeah. We just need to decide on who's taking part."

"I'm glad it's back to a team format. It's much easier to rotate the players and give people more of a chance to take part," Ray commented. "When you're on a tag-team you can't really afford to put up anyone but your strongest, but everyone has their own strengths which might not show up in competitions like that. Having the option though this time around was a great idea."

Tala nodded. "So, do you know if Kenny will take part in the matches? He showed a lot of improvement in the last championships."

"I dunno, I've been out most the time since we arrived," Ray answered, "Haven't had a chance to ask him. I hope so though, it's good for his confidence."

Tala nodded. "So that's five possible members on your team then," he mused.

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "I wonder what the competition will be like."

Ray laughed. "D'you think we should hold some bets on the stadiums? How many will be destroyed, how long each will last and who will be most responsible for the damage?"

"You never know what will happen in a beyblade tournament, so it's impossible to guess."

Ray had to agree with Tala on that one. They were all bad for that particular incident. They continued to talk about the odd topic for a few hours, only disturbed a couple of times by Tyson, Max and Daichi when they came through for snacks.

000

The next morning Tala had left to go and visit Cassie, Tyson was still asleep and Max was building a snowman in the yard with Daichi. Ray sat at the kitchen table nursing a cup of tea and staring at two items in front of him; the photograph of his mother and the note from his father. After a couple of minutes Kai walked quietly into the room, pausing briefly to look at Ray before moving over to the sink for a glass of water. Ray blinked and turned his head. "Hey," he greeted the Russian.

"Hey," Kai returned quietly, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

"Sleep okay?" Ray asked.

Kai hesitated then nodded. "Y-yeah," he replied. "Was it you who brought me back?"

"Yeah, I followed after you," Ray answered.

"...Thanks."

"You're welcome," Ray replied.

The room lapsed into silence for several long moments and Kai found himself swirling the water in his glass. He took a breath and let it out slowly. "...I'm sorry."

"What for?" Ray asked.

Kai looked away to the side. "Yesterday," he answered, "The harbour."

"Kai, you don't need to apologise for that."

The Russian gave a weak half shrug. "I feel like I have to... I cause nothing but problems these days for everyone."

"That's not true, Kai. You're not causing problems."

The dark look that Kai sent him came without warning. "That's a lie, and you know it."

"Being involved in a problem doesn't make you the cause of it," Ray told Kai firmly.

"Hmph," Kai looked away completely. "What d'you know?" he muttered.

Ray sighed and turned back towards the table. "I know you," he answered quietly. "And I know you're not a bad person."

"...How can you know me when I don't even know myself anymore?" Kai asked after another moment of drawn out silence.

"The reason you've become blind to the good in yourself is because you're only listening to the bad things others say. You're my friend, Kai. You're the same person who helped me get Driger back after I lost him to the Saint Shields, the same person who's helped all of us become stronger. You've given up so much for our sake, even risking your own life. You've even comforted us despite how awkward you feel about it. You're still you; that fact hasn't changed."

"Maybe. But it's only a matter of time before more demons like Gavin come after me." He clenched a fist. "And without my power, I can't fight back."

"That's why I want you to accept my help. After everything you've done for me it's the least I can do. It doesn't make you weak to accept help, Kai. And it's not permanent."

"...Fine," the Russian grumbled. "I'll try."

Ray turned and offered Kai a genuine smile, "Thank you."

Kai looked back at him, and the stern expression on his face did ease slightly before he looked away again, "Hn."

"So, can I ask your advice on something?" Ray asked, changing the subject.

"If you want."

Ray gestured to the photo and note on the table, "My old man's trying to reach out again. He had Tyson hold on to this picture of Ma-my mother for me. He wants me to meet with him. Thing is; I do want to know him. I know he left her, didn't believe I was even his at first and even cheated on her, but he's still my father and he did come back to be with her in the end. I'm wary of him because of what happened back home when you played decoy, but I do believe in giving people a second chance. I'm a little nervous though because of the way I spoke to him when I last saw him. I was a little unbalanced at the time, I know, but that's no excuse." Ray sighed. "So what do you think I should do?"

Kai blinked, twice. "I, uh, don't know if I can help you with that. Susumu isn't exactly father of the year."

"Which is sorta the point in asking you," Ray replied. "I asked the others but they didn't know what to say. I don't think any of them have fallen out with theirs."

Kai grunted quietly. "Well, don't get your hopes up for a start. Then you're less likely to get hurt if he lets you down again. Other than that, just tell him how you feel. See if he listens."

Ray smiled a little. "Hope for the best and expect the worse?"

"Exactly," Kai nodded. "That's about all I can say."

"Thanks, Kai," Ray said sincerely. "I've made my decision. I'll go and see him, but I'll keep up my guard."

"...Good luck," Kai told him. "I hope you'll get on better with your father than I do with mine."

Ray smiled again. "Wanna hear something dumb?" he asked light-heartedly.

Sitting down at the table, Kai offered a weak half smile. "Alright then, go for it."

"I actually thought you were mad at me," Ray told him with a slight laugh. "I mentioned it to Lee and he thought I was overreacting. He was right. Stupid, right?"

Kai snorted quietly. "If I had the energy, I'd probably punch you in the head for being stupid." Ray grinned and laughed; both in amusement and the relief brought on with knowing things really were okay between them.

"Did I miss a joke?" Tyson asked as he stumbled into the kitchen and made his way to the cupboard.

"Not one you'd understand, Tyson," Kai told him. "Or appreciate."

Tyson shrugged, accepting it as apparently being a private joke between best friends. It was actually reassuring because it was something about Kai that seemed back in place. "How are you feeling, Kai?" he asked. "We were all pretty worried about you when you were brought in unconscious. What happened anyway? You weren't hurt or anything, were you?"

Kai shook his head, but his gaze fell to the table-top. "No, I'm alright. I just got myself a bit stressed out. Haven't slept too well the last few days. I'll be fine though."

"Okay," Tyson replied. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"I appreciate that," Kai told him with a nod.

"So where is everyone?" Tyson wondered.

"Tala's gone to see Cassie, Max and Daichi are building a snowman-" Ray began to tell Tyson, pausing when there was a thump at the window, "Having a snowball fight," Ray amended. "And we haven't seen Hils or the Chief yet." Kai stayed quiet as the two spoke, his mind wandering.

Tyson closed the cupboard without taking anything out and moved to check the fridge. "Anyone got any plans for the day?" he asked as he moved some things about before closing the fridge, without removing anything, and returned to the cupboard to search it again.

"You're not sick or anything, are you, Tyson?" Ray asked. "There's three boxes of cereal to your left in there, all with sugar in them, half a loaf of bread to your right and there's a bottle of pancake batter in the fridge. It's not like there's nothing to choose from. Or there's some fruit over here."

"I'm not sick, I'm just feeling lazy," Tyson responded. "Guess I'll have toast," he decided and pulled the bread out of the cupboard. "You know the contents of my cupboards better than I do," he commented.

"I ate earlier, so saw them then," Ray shrugged.

"So, plans?" Tyson asked.

"I'm going to go and meet my father," Ray answered.

"You sure?" Tyson asked, having Ray's reaction to the photograph in mind. "I mean, you know we're all behind you and you don't have to force yourself to go see him if you're not ready."

"I'm quite sure," Ray confirmed with a smile before facing the Russian, "Kai gave me some advice."

Kai raised a hand slightly from the table as if telling Ray he didn't need to mention it. "I just hope you can build bridges with him."

"Thanks, Kai. I hope so too," Ray responded.

"So how about you, Kai, any plans?" Tyson asked.

The Russian shrugged half-heartedly. "Don't know yet, might just go out for a walk or something."

"I was thinking we could do some training or something," Tyson commented, "But if you don't want to that's cool."

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Kai replied, "For a while anyway."

"Cool," Tyson responded brightly. "So are you looking forward to this tournament?"

Kai honestly had to think hard to answer that. Was he? Truth be told; he didn't really know. He still enjoyed beyblading; it was a huge part of his life after all. But at the same time, recently his enthusiasm for it had been somewhat lacking. In fact, his enthusiasm for most things had been. He wished he could shake himself out of this low mood, but there was just so much going on in his head that he couldn't. "...I guess," he answered at last.

"You okay?" Tyson asked him in concern.

"...Fine."

"Are you sure?" Tyson asked, frowning.

"He's just a little lethargic right now, don't worry about it," Ray told Tyson to stop him from pestering Kai.

"Huh?" Tyson asked.

"You know the feeling when you can't be bothered? That's lethargy," Ray explained before downing the last of his tea, pulling a face afterwards as it had gotten cold when he'd been lost in thought. He washed the cup and put it away. "Right, well, I'm heading out now. See you guys later."

"Okay, later. Have fun," Tyson responded.

"Bye, Ray," Kai added, before heaving himself up from the table. "I'm gonna go take a shower," he told Tyson. "Then we can maybe have a match or something."

"Okay, cool," Tyson responded and happily got on with having his breakfast.

000

"Kobe! Here boy," Hilary called as she walked her dog through the park. She'd decided to give going to Tyson's house a miss this morning. She needed time to think. Kai had been acting weird lately. Things just hadn't been the same between them since what had happened at Ray's hometown. When she'd been injured, Kai had stayed by her side constantly. He was always there when she woke up, holding her hand and comforting her when she got confused and scared.

But now, he was like a totally different person. Quiet and withdrawn, shutting himself away from the others like he had done when she first met him. What had happened to the Kai she knew? The Kai she'd come to love and care for so much... "Why have you shut me out?" she murmured, before looking up as Kobe suddenly shot past her and disappeared round a row of bushes. "H-hey!" Hilary shouted. "Kobe! Come here now." She followed the husky round the bushes in the hopes of catching him, but stopped when she saw him sitting before a familiar white clad figure at the fountain.

Brooklyn smiled at the white and chocolate brown husky in front of him. He'd been feeding the birds, but they'd taken flight when the dog came charging through the bushes. "Hello there," he greeted, holding out his hand for the young dog to smell. "And what's your name?"

"Kobe," Hilary called again, moving towards her dog as Kobe wagged his tail and decided that Brooklyn's hand was tasty enough to lick. "Um, hi, Brooklyn," Hilary greeted, a bit surprised to see him.

"Hello, Hilary," Brooklyn responded, "Is he yours?"

Hilary smiled as she got a hold of Kobe and clipped his lead to his collar. "Yeah, this big lump is mine. Sorry about that, Brooklyn. I only let him run loose because he usually comes back when he's called."

Brooklyn smiled at her, "It's fine. I don't mind," he said as he petted Kobe. "I didn't know you had a dog."

Hilary smiled and nodded, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Kai gave him to me. He has lots of dogs back home in Russia, and Kobe here was one of the puppies from the surprise litter."

"Joy? A good name. Something's troubling you," Brooklyn observed.

Hilary's smile faltered, but remained. "It's nothing," she told him, before moving to sit next to him on the wall of the fountain. Kobe rested his head on her knee and she scratched one of his ears.

"It's enough to bother you," Brooklyn pointed out gently. "It might help you to speak with your friends...unless it's a problem with them." Brooklyn smiled again. "Are they getting on your nerves?" he half-joked.

"No more than usual," Hilary sweat dropped, before sighing. "But you're right; something is bothering me. One of them is being a bit...weird lately. He's not acting like himself and I don't know what to do about it."

"Has something happened?" Brooklyn asked her. "I don't mean to pry, but it might help you to talk."

Hilary fiddled with Kobe's lead hesitantly. "I got hurt a while back..." she admitted quietly, "Trying to help out. And now I can't help but think he's mad at me."

"Why would he be mad at you?" Brooklyn asked her. "If you were trying to help then surely you didn't do anything wrong?"

"I'm pretty sure I scared him," Hilary explained, "Badly."

"Maybe he just needs time to come to terms with it and to realise that you're really okay now?" Brooklyn suggested.

Hilary sighed. "See, that's what I thought. But things still aren't getting any better. For the first time in a long time, I feel awkward around him, to the point where it's uncomfortable. There's just no end to it." She stopped and stroked Kobe gently, "Sorry, Brooklyn. I'm sure you have enough of your own problems, without having to listen to mine too."

"I really don't mind," Brooklyn assured her. "I wouldn't have asked if I did. If you're not comfortable around him, maybe some time away would help. It's nice to be around your friends, but sometimes you need some time and space to yourself. It doesn't mean you care any less for your friends."

Hilary considered this for a moment as Kobe turned his attention toward Brooklyn once again. "Yeah, hopefully you're right." She smiled bravely, "Anyway, enough about me. How have you been, Brooklyn? Last I heard, you were staying with Garland and training together."

"I'm still staying with Garland and we've been training. I just came out to feed the birds for a while," Brooklyn answered. "The training's going well, but you know, I just find his method far too energetic. I think he's still training."

Hilary laughed a little. "Garland always seemed like the kinda guy who never stops. I wish Tyson showed that much enthusiasm with training." She stood up when Kobe pulled on his lead. "Anyway, this guy still needs walked, so I'd better get going, unless you wanna join us? It's nice having someone to talk to."

"I think that would be nice," Brooklyn responded as he stood up to join her. Hilary smiled and let Kobe off his lead, letting the dog decide where they were going, and set a comfortable pace for herself and Brooklyn while talking happily.


End file.
